Bakersfield Magazine • 31-2 • Man Issue

HENDRIX EXCLUSIVE:

Never before published images from Jimi’s Bakersfield Show Interview with Ron Raffaelli, Photographer to Rock-n-Roll’s Greats!

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4 Bakersfield Magazine

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6 Bakersfield Magazine

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VOL. 31 NO. 2 • SUMMER 2014 PHOTO COURTESY OF GENE DAY

81 Departments EDITOR’S LETTER

Sex, Drags, & Rock-n-Roll...14

93

KERN FACTS

WE MAKE ANY OCCASION A SPECIAL ONE. Whatever your special occasion is, it should

be just that: special. Our dedicated staff will make your event as memorable as it is effortless.

You will feel confident knowing our professional meeting planners are here to help you plan your celebration or milestone event.

Contact our Sales & Catering Professionals!

Vanessa Emo, Director of Sales

Jeff Hayward, Director of Catering

A Look at Local Life..............15 CITIZEN KERN

Meet Robin Mangarin.......28 HUMAN RESOURCES

Fashion Rules at Work.......32 RISKTAKERS

Let’s Hang Out!..................33 GREAT GETAWAYS

Riding The Rails................81 GARDENING WITH MRS. P

ENTERTAINING THE BAKERSFIELD WAY

HOME & GARDEN

QUICK BITES

Garden Smarties................83 Can You Handle It?.............85

Kelly Sloan, Group Sales Manager

85

Teresa Carlson, Local Negotiated Rates Manager Rickee Russell, Catering Sales Manager

Tasha Rios, Convention Services Manager Please call us at 661-323-1900, to inquire about availability, menus and rates.

Tastes of Summer...............91 Summer Yummies..............93 FRESH FROM THE FARMERS’ MARKET

Pineapple Green Juice.........96 IN & AROUND B•TOWN

Party Peeps........................109 BAKERSFIELD’S SOUND

The Great Fire of 1889........114

BAKERSFIELD MARRIOTT AT THE CONVENTION CENTER

Menu prices vary and do not include taxable service charge and sales tax.

8 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTOS BY NYUL/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

661-323-1900 • info@bakersfieldmarriott.com

23

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 9

VOL. 31 NO. 2 • SUMMER 2014

HOMEGROWN HISTORY

WHAT’S COOKIN’

RON RAFFAELLI

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

HOT PANTS &

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

The Shooting Bee...............29 Visions of Greatness............35 The Flying Red Chair..........41 RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY

New Reflections....................47 SLEEP STUDIES

Counting Sheep...................51

©RON RAFFAELLI

35

Features

Tried & True Best Burgers...73 Design Inspiration..............99 Rest for the Weary.............101

73

ALZHEIMER’S IN KERN

F ERIC

ART O

A Silent Struggle..................55

JAME

MODERN MEDICINE

DID YOU KNOW OUR ICE CREAM IS MADE FRESH EVERY DAY IN EVERY STORE?

S

Putting Patients First............59 THE LAWS OF MEDICINE

Should You Pay or Play?.......63

41

IT’S TRUE! Churned from the finest ingredients and mixed with your choice of candy, cakes, fruits, or nuts on a frozen granite stone, we proudly serve the best tasting, madeto-order ice cream you’ve ever had.

Rosedale Highway Nor thwest Promenade

ColdStoneCreamery.com 10 Bakersfield Magazine

59

PHOTO BY ROBERT PEREZ

Ming Avenue The Market Place

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEGGY CROWE

Mount Vernon Avenue Mall View Drive

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

ONE MINUTE BUSINESS BRIEF

Curriculum Vitae......................31

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES Medical Specialties Profiles.....64

MEDICAL PROFILES Medical Profiles........................71

HOME & GARDEN RESOURCES

Home & Garden .......................86

The Dining Guide The Dining Guide....................94

Religious Schools & Worship Services Directory Worship Directory....................97

Helping Simplify Our Clients’ Financial Lives

COMMUNITY PARTNERS Community Partners...............98

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Shoppers Bazaar......................106

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12 Bakersfield Magazine

everafters...

Weddings..............................107

seuUrE is o n n o C e m Ho E DREAM HOMES ISS

THE RETURN

OF

& TH

Sizzlin' WHO WILL Singles THEY BE?

©INGRAM PUBLISHING/THINKSTOCK

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C AU om i 20 GUS ng 14 T

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REMEMBERING

LES & DONNA CORUM FOUNDERS . VISIONARIES . FRIENDS

Vol. 31 No. 2

B

Summer 2014

Publisher & Executive Editor Mike Corum Assistant Editor Anika Henrikson Garden Editor Lynn Pitts Wine & Food Editor Mike Stepanovich Creative Director Chuck Barnes Graphic Artists David Corum, Laura Turner Systems/Production Ryan Turner Sales & Marketing Lisa Corum, Lisa Villegas Wilson Photography Isabel Alvarez, Eric James, Robert Perez Staff Writer Maryann Kopp Contributing Writers Tracie Grimes, Rosemary Hobbs Kim Horg, Ghina Itani, Gordon Lull Francis Mayer, Robin Paggi Kimberly D. Schroeder, Yana Todorova Molly M. Wilson, Sarah Woodman Accounting/Human Resources Melissa Galvan Distribution/Circulation Brigit Ayers Cover Photo Burger by Eric James/ Hendrix Photo ©Ron Raffaelli Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. 1601 New Stine Road, Suite 200 Bakersfield, CA 93309 Office (661) 834-4126 Fax (661) 834-5495 marketing@bakersfieldmagazine.net www.bakersfieldmagazine.net Bakersfield Magazine is published bi-monthly by Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. ©Copyright 2014 by Bakersfield Magazine, Inc. Reproduction of any text, photograph or illustration in whole or in part 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.

ecome part of history one more time. The Kern Veteran’s Oral History Project is designed and created for veterans of any age, any branch of service, whether combat experienced or not, to tell their story of their service to our country. If you have a story we are ready to listen.

The Kern Veteran’s Oral History Project is a coordinated project between the Kern County Historical Society, Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter # 604, Bakersfield High School’s CEO Academy students, and KGET TV 17.

Contact the Kern County Historical Society at kchs1931@gmail.com

A Local Website For THE HISTORY BOOKS ANNUAL GENERATIONS PROFILES BAKERSFIELD’S SOUND ARCHIVED HISTORICAL ARTICLES

Bakersfield Magazine is working to preserve the history of Kern County through stories of Kern’s proud and fascinating past!

KernCountyGenerations.com

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Steelhead Industries

Letter from the Editor

Sex, Drags, and Rock-n-Roll

Lic. #907219

Is there anything better? Maybe. But these are a few of my favorite things...and this being our Man Issue, it seems only fitting that we offer a little of each. And in doing so, it's turned out to be my favorite issue yet! So without further ado...

WE CAN BUILD ANYTHING from

engineered blueprints to something you have sketched out on a piece of paper.

Bring us your projects, and we will make them a reality.

• Pool Fence • Handrails • Security Gates • Furniture • Construction • Balconies • Electrostatic Painting

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WE POWER YOUR WORLD

Car • Truck • Motorcycle Starters • Alternators Industrial • Heavy Duty Solar Batteries • Chargers

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14 Bakersfield Magazine

ART BY EMILIE GERARD/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

Low Prices & A Higher Level of Service - Guaranteed!

Rock-n-Roll: Being a “wannabe rock star,” I used to pride myself on my vast array of local musical knowledge—basically a collection of useless little-known facts and trivia as it related to the Bakersfield music scene.

Who hailed from here and became famous, who knew who in which famous band, and so on. To the point of information overload (I used to drive my kids nuts). So, when I first heard Jimi Hendrix played a show in Bakersfield, I was like, “Say what?”

Many years later, when I heard that Jimi Hendrix's personal photographer lived in Kern County, I was like, “No way!” And recently, when one of our sales associates said she had a brother that knew the guy, I was like, “We've got to do a story!” And so the search began to track down “that” guy. After almost a year, we are very proud to present Francis Mayer's story on McFarland resident Ron Raffaelli, a man responsible for some of rock's most iconic photos, as well as Hendrix’s personal photographer on his only U.S. Tour, which included a stop in Bakersfield (take that, brain full of local music trivia). Ron was kind enough to share a little of his fantastic journey with us as well as many never before published photos, a number from Hendrix’s Bakersfield show. The story starts on page 35.

Plus, log on to bakersfieldmagazine.net for more from Raffaelli’s portfolio!

Drags: One of my favorite things to do in Bakersfield is to attend the March Meets.

It’s a tradition my dad started when I was younger. We'd “play hooky” on Friday and go hang out at the drag races all day (my dad, being a hot rodder from back in the day, had been at the first one). It was also what probably fueled my love of fast, loud, and flashy cars, to the point that, for a while (in between rock bands), I decided I wanted to campaign a dragster.

And much like my obsession of being a walking encyclopedia of little-known local rock-n-roll lore, I started working on my

TRIVIA

collection of local drag racing facts—and there were a lot! I searched out the who, what, when, and how fast of just about every famous Famoso moment...and one of those was about a little rear engine dragster that was built by some of the same guys involved with the Rain for Rent Special aka The Ridge Route Terrors. The car had received a lot of national attention at the time and appeared in several national rod magazines. What I didn't know was the rest of the story...but I do now. Writer Gordon Lull brings to life the incredible tale of Hot Pants and the Flying Red Chair (page 41).

But wait, there's more...

Every three to four years, we send our esteemed food editor, Mike Stepanovich, to search out, taste, and pick Bakersfield's Best Burgers. And we've done so again for this issue. It's a “local restaurants only” list, meaning these creations are Bakersfield born (not recipes created by corporate conglomerates after months of market testing). But to be fair, we also had him pick the best from the more popular chains, too.

Plus his pick of the “local classics” we all know. Best Burgers starts on page 73. Of course, this is our annual Medical Specialties issue, as well; loaded with stories and profiles on local healthcare providers and available new technologies and treatments.

Medical Specialties begins on page 45. ...oh, and let’s not forget the Sex: It's a boy! Congratulations to our Bookkeeper Melissa and her family on the birth of baby Jax. All this and our regular features, too?

Talk about “crazy generous”...

Enjoy!

Mike Corum comments@bakersfieldmagazine.net

Kern Facts

People • Places • Events

He’s the president of BARC and she’s a senior customer relationship manager for PG&E, but this busy couple always makes time to sing their love for one another!

HIS & Hers

BRIAN A JACKSON/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

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

Jim: Wow…that girl can sing!

Brenda: That he was the best singer I had ever heard.

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

Jim: Marry me.

Brenda: Spontaneously flew me to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs to pick out a diamond ring for our 5th anniversary.

What is your spouse’s biggest phobia?

Jim: Bugs! All kinds of bugs!

Brenda: Fear of being covered in mud…he just hates getting dirty.

We were in a quartet called “Four Score,” and found ourselves singing “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” at a funeral home grand opening, with caskets on display.

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

Jim: Me. She is right so much of the time that I just automatically declare “You are RIGHT!” Even if she isn’t!

Brenda: I’m the first to “sincerely” admit it. But we could both probably improve in this area.

What is your spouse most passionate about?

Jim: Singing…Acting…Music…

Brenda is an amazing talent. If you hand her a piece of music she has never seen before she will play it on the piano the first time about as well as she will ever play it. She is an amazing actor; she will make you laugh and cry uncontrollably in the same scene. And she sings like a bird!

Brenda: BARC. Jim’s passion for improving the quality of life for BARC’s clients is inspiring and noble. Nothing upsets him more than injustice toward people with disabilities, and nothing thrills him more than the smile of a client upon realizing a new achievement.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Bakersfield?

Jim: Go to local art, theater, and musical shows. Bakersfield has a great deal of talent. Brenda and I have been fortunate enough to know, see, and perform with the best and talented in Bakersfield.

Brenda: Theatre at Stars. Great performances, beautiful venue, wonderful friends!

What is your least favorite thing about your spouse and most favorite thing?

Jim: Brenda does NOT know how

to make buttermilk biscuits but she sure is fun to sing with!

Brenda: He throws dirty silverware in the dishwasher hoping it lands in the appropriate slots but Jim loves Disneyland as much as I do.

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

Jim: Brenda was on stage at the Harvey Auditorium playing Maria in The Sound Of Music, and as she was singing her costume just fell off. There she stood in her petticoat, and she never missed a note!

Brenda: We were in a quartet called “Four Score,” and found ourselves singing “Zip-a-DeeDoo-Dah” at a funeral home grand opening, with caskets on display.

IN STEP WITH:

Jim & Brenda Baldwin

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Kern Facts

Bakersfield Community for over 33 years

A

LIST EXTRA

GOOD GOLLY TAMALES!

N

OTHING TASTES BETTER THAN TRADITIONAL MEXICAN FOOD. Scratch that—free traditional Mexican food tastes pretty good, too. And with this issue’s A-List Contest, we plan on making sure one local reader and A-List Member gets to experience that joy. We’re giving away a $100 gift card to El Portal Mexican Restaurant to one lucky winner. Just check out the list of names below and if you see yours, email us at alist@bakersfieldmagazine.net and you’ll be entered to win this spicy prize.

If you aren’t on the A-List, be sure to visit bakersfieldmagazine.net and sign up for free!

Sharon Camorlinga Sherrie Hodge Jonnie Gerra Wendi Kaff

Elva Lopez

Ron Fraze

Lorrie Lozano

Brandon Hopkins

Sara Lambie

Andy Amador

Chris Champness

Richard Kuhn

*Contest eligibility for A-List members who haven’t won in past three months

ING? IL M S y e th re a Why IS SAID THAT IT

AT IT IS OFTEN at E ALL KNOW TH EIVE, but here E THAN TO REC IV ity G un TO m m R co TE e BET give back to th in, all azine, we love to of it as a win/w Bakersfield Mag nk hi (T ! us to h muc are just that has given so loyal readers or r ou of e on e ar you events! around.) Whether eye out for us at an ep ke , es us ble ca benefits. a supporter of no ap some major re d ul co u yo n whe You never know

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16 Bakersfield Magazine

eath MaryHelen H ss ’s omen Busine Bakersfield W et sk Ba ift G e Conferenc

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INNERS! W E ’R Y E H T e Becaus

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Serving the

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Kern Facts

CLOSER

Minimum Age 18 Years+

• Gift Certificates Available • Group Rate Discounts

661

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18 Bakersfield Magazine

SKYDIVETAFT.COM

HO WOULDN’T WANT A PRIVATE TOUR THROUGH OUR OWN JURASSIC PARK? You know, as long as the tour didn’t end in humans being turned into dino snacks? Thankfully a visit to the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and Science is relatively safe since all the dinosaurs are dead (we hope). Which is why the museum has an impressive collection of fossils and other prehistoric artifacts. But for all the gems on display, there are a number of items that are simply too fragile or too special to be on constant display.

According to Museum director Koral Hancharick, there’s a huge collection of specimens that there’s just no room for out in the display cases. So they spend their time in the vaults, far away from human eyes. But we’ve got a little something special for Bakersfield Magazine readers wanting to take a closer look.

“We are pleased to announce, during the month of June, specialized tours of the Museum’s Repository/Vault will be available to those interested,” she said. “People can see fossils and minerals specimens that have not been displayed to the public and preview those that soon will be displayed.”

Like a 15.2 million year old left femur from a Paleoparadoxia, an extinct hippolike mammal that was closely related to elephants and manatees.

“The tours will be given by JP Stegall, the Museum’s curator, and will last approximately 30 to 45 minutes.” Talk about VIP service! General admission applies and space is limited. Call (661) 324-6350 and reserve a time to travel into the past with a personal touch.

ART BY 3DALIA/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

W

ENCOUNTERS

In & Around B•Town

GOOD TIMES at the mountain

CAR ART BY ANTHONYCZ/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK, LOGO COURTESY TEHACHAPI MOUNTAIN BREW & GRILL FEST

C

ALIFORNIA CRAFT BEER? Check. Barbecue? Check.

Live music? Got it. All of the above mixed together in a cool mountain setting? Double check! Is there a better way to rock a summer’s evening in Kern County? David Brust doesn’t think so, and that is partly why he decided to bring the first ever Tehachapi Mountain Brew and Grill Fest to our community on July 19.

“Craft beers are one of the fastest growing portions of the beverage market in the U.S.,” Brust began. “California, alone, has around three hundred microbreweries, and Kern County is a bit behind in that area.” This is where Brust decided to step in to create an event that will bring our place in the game to the head of its class, considering that, “the Tehachapi Mountain Brew and Grill Fest is going to be the only one of its kind in all of Central California.”

But that isn’t all that makes this event a must-attend. In addition to this festival bringing something special to attendees, in and of itself, the Craft Beer Competition is AHA/BJCP sanctioned, and five different categories of beers will go head-to-frothy-head for one of three placements. There will also be a barbecue competition, where tri-tip, chicken, and pork will be judged by tenderness, taste, impression, and appearance. There is a super exclusive VIP section with phenomenal food and drinks, and the festival will even have someone hand rolling cigars on the premises. And, fear not: you certainly don’t have to be VIP to enjoy amazing food, because each person who goes will have their option of a full dinner from one of six different local restaurants. There will also be samples, however, which will consist of the very beer and barbecue being judged— and you can even meet the creators of both, if the mood takes you.

Ultimately, though, the goal is also to help serve local chapters of charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Boy Scouts of America, amongst others, making our community an even better place to be. You can find out more information, including how to get tickets, at www.tehachapibrew.com.

DID YOU KNOW?

CH HILE THE STAGECOA e th by é wa s pa ss s they early 1900s, the route eded ne ll sti re tomobiles traveled we d people. When au an s od go g rtin po ies started for trans by storm, compan try un co the ing tak began lly had a few in o the line. We actua int m the g tin ra po incor tchell founded and 16, Kitchen and Ge 19 In ty. un Co rn Ke een Taft and Los ge line that ran betw operated an auto sta Stage Company year, Western Auto Angeles. That same stage line. But to San Francisco began a Bakersfield rt of the Federal pa constructed roads (as highways and newly lines obsolete to au made these ) 16 19 of t ty Ac ad Aid Ro ology of Kern Coun urce: Historic Chron So er. aft re the tly shor

W

Bakersfield Magazine, Bakersfield’s City Magazine for over 31 years, is currently seeking professional Marketing Representatives to show local businesses the benefits of advertising in our publication. The right person will work closely with some of the best-known companies in Kern County.

Candidates must possess : • Communicate Effectively • Excellent phone skills • Must be comfortable dealing • Outgoing personality with CEOs of corporations • Be able to multi-task as well as local, family • Have tremendous owned businesses follow-through

661-834-4126 www.BakersfieldMagazine.net

E.O.E.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 19

Kern Facts

J

AM SESSIONS THAT LAST TILL THREE in the morning, hula dancing, music theory, improvisation instruction, Irish penny whistles, catered dinners, teachers from all over California, and the occasional campfire—it sounds like a far cry from your average band camp, right? That’s because Camp Kiya in Tehachapi is anything but average, and it has been as such since its beginning.

“It all began as a workshop; a weekend where Jamie Laval [one of the top Celtic violinists on an international level] and some fiddlers were hosting,” Debbie Hand, program director for the Camp, started. “We needed a bigger space, so we went to the Mountain Park area, and before we knew it, we had a day camp. People loved it. As the years passed, we expanded

20 Bakersfield Magazine

our activities and the number of days. We are now in our sixth year, and include four days of instruction.” (A slew of talent—including Mountain Music, TPops, LA Scottish Fiddlers, to name a few—have collaborated over the years to make this all possible).

Campers also have a wealth of options on everything from lodging to lessons. Instruction runs the gamut: you can learn guitar, mandolin, hammered dulcimer, banjo, fiddle, cello, uku-

choice of using a cabin, pitching a tent, bringing an RV or—if you’re close enough—simply going home for the evening.

“Even if you’ve never touched an instrument, you can come and try different things out and find something

you like,” Hand said. “You might go home with a penny whistle! At night there are performances and dances, and the location is close to town, so you can come and go as you please.” To find out more information, check out their website at campkiya.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAMP KIYA

lele, and others. The best part is you need zero experience to join in and, as a family camp, people of all ages are welcome. (Who knows? You could have the next Jackson 5 on your hands!) There are options to take just a single class, as well, and you have your

Tunes For All

PHOTOS BY BRIAN MAUDSLEY/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK (CARROTS), PURESTOCK/THINKSTOCK (BOAT).

by the

NUMBERS 14 $

60

572 1981 10,176 $

Locations in Bakersfield to get Kern River Brewing microbrews Boating permit cost for all Kern County lakes Number of authorized deputy sheriff positions in all units of the Sheriff’s Department Year Grimmway Farms moved its processing plant to Bakersfield New titles added to the Kern County Library circulation in 2012

18,300,000

Amount budgeted for resurfacing and reconstruction of City streets in 2013-2014

Sources: kernriverbrewingcompany.com; co.kern.ca.us/ parks, kernsheriff.com; grimmway.com; kerncountylibrary.org; bakersfieldcity.us

Where Am I WE HOPE YOUR PEEPERS ARE IN GREAT SHAPE BECAUSE WE’RE ABOUT TO PUT THEM TO THE TEST. Once again, we’ve taken a photo of a local landmark and want you to identify where we took it. If you are think you have the answer, email us at comments@bakersfieldmagazine.net and let us know. If it’s correct, your name will be entered into a random drawing for a $50 Russo’s Books gift card!

That’ll get you a lot of new books to reward your eyes!

Good luck!

Last issue’s answer: Mural at K St. & Chester Ave.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 21

Kern Facts 70 TOP BRAND STORES & GROWING

The Outlets at Tejon

F

22 Bakersfield Magazine

for future growth and expansion are quite promising,” explained Barry Zoeller, vice president of Corporate Communications & Marketing for Tejon Ranch Company.

“We began seriously considering the idea back in 2010 and Tejon Ranch Company is proud that, along with our partner, the Rockefeller Group, we’re finally able to turn that vision into a reality.”

According to Zoeller, the project came together easily and smoothly, which is quite a feat given the Outlets at Tejon will include more than 70 brand stores. But what’s truly impressive are the benefits this facility will have on our community.

“The Outlets at Tejon will have a major impact on our local economy; first, by creating more than 1,500 jobs, and then by generating significant additional sales tax revenue for the County of Kern,” Zoeller added. “We anticipate thirty to forty percent of sales will be generated by shoppers who live outside of Kern County, so the Outlets will be bringing in a significant amount of new tax revenue for local government.”

This summer will see the culmination of a project a long time in the making, not to mention a bevy of high quality designer threads on sale in our own backyard. Visit tejonoutlets.com for more information!

PHOTO COURTESY OUTLETS AT TEJON

OR YEARS, RUMORS CIRCULATED ABOUT A LARGE OUTLET FACILITY JUST SOUTH OF BAKERSFIELD. While public interest was always high, there were questions as to the feasibility of such a place from a corporate standpoint.

But now that the Outlets at Tejon is scheduled to open this summer, those questions have answers.

“Given that we had interest from more brands and retailers than we had the space to accommodate, we think the prospects

expressions

Local

People • Places • Events

By David Nigel Lloyd

Gene Albitre’s life changed in 1967 when he was 12 years old.

It didn’t seem like a lifechanging event at the time. “A goat had got its head stuck in a fence,” he recounted. “My aunt told me to go get it out.”

His struggle to “Free Billy” from a fence in East Bakersfield did not go unnoticed. An elderly gentleman named Salvador Carmello emerged from a nearby house. “That’s how I met him,” said Albitre.

Salvador Carmello was a Chumash Indian who had worked most of his life on the Tejon Ranch. He was born in 1889, the year of the Great Bakersfield Fire. “Salvador was one of the last of the good vaqueros,” Albitre said. “They were masters of horsemanship.”

Carmello, like many vaqueros [cowboys] of his day, was also a master of the dying art of braided rawhide. Albitre became his apprentice that day.

He learned how to make every item of horse tack that Carmello knew. These included such staples of vaquero tradition as hackamores (bridles without bits) and bosals (nosebands that replace bits). He also learned to make reins and reatas (lariats).

“I [spent] three years with him,” he said. “I pray that I learned good [sic].” Salvador Carmello died in 1970.

Though only 15, Albitire had already begun his life’s work of discovering and articulating his identity as a native person intertwined with Californio traditions. “There are Albitres all over Southern California,” he explained, “and most of us are Kumeyaay people. But, you

have to understand, all the natives that survived the missions of Alta and Baja California as we did are going to have Spanish names.”

Born in Bakersfield, Albitre

then an oil field worker, Albitre sought out fellow tribal people and their knowledge.

He now has a living legacy of Western and native artistry that informs all his endeavors.

grew up in Woody among extended family in the Southern Sierra. “There’s a pride in knowing you have an ancestry of good people who knew how to live off the land, something I learned growing up in the mountains.”

While working in Bakersfield as a meat cutter and

Through the Arts Council of Kern he worked with thousands of students in public schools throughout the county. They learned to make, use, and appreciate feather and beadwork items; bone tools and whistles; and rawhide work that now includes elk, buffalo, and deer. He

also taught them native drum making and drum singing.

In 2003, under the apprenticeship program of the Alliance of California Traditional Artists, Albitre passed on much of what he learned from Salvador Carmello to Corina Castellon, a young Apache woman. After a year, she left to have a family, Albitre explained. “But she’s coming back and continuing now.”

He is very concerned, however, about the absence of full time apprentices. “I’m trying not to forget what I have learned because I don’t have anybody who I’ve learned from to go back to.

They’re gone.”

He is a Native American chaplain at North Kern State Prison in Delano. “A lot of people in there don’t have the mindset of ancestry. They don’t know what they are doing or why.”

This May marked Albitre’s 18th year as Director of Bakersfield’s annual Standing Bear PowWow. “This kinda offsets working in a prison,” he said. “Children who attended the first year are bringing their own kids now.”

Today, Albitre is looking for a space in which to house his library of genealogy files, maps and approximately 1,000 books.

He wants it to be more than a historical and cultural information resource. He wants visitors and borrowers to see that there is another way to live. “Today we compete. The traditions of family and culture are disappearing. Even back in the ‘60s, things were nicer. I want the library to bring back some of that so we can be happy.”

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 23

Kern Facts

&Starlets

Stars

O SAY THAT KERN COUNTY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF FILM TO ITS CREDIT IS REALLY AN UNDERSTATEMENT (we’ve even published entire features on the topic) and it’s also one that may take away from the fact that there are wonderful current projects keeping us in the limelight. In fact, there is one Hollywood starlet who loves our community so much that she has made it a point to film specifically in Bakersfield!

Actress and producer Michelle Romano had her first encounter in Bakersfield when she entered her independent film, Milwood, into a local film festival.

“After I had entered Milwood, I was asked to be a juror, as well, with the exception of the Independent Film Track, of course, since I was competing in that category,” Romano recalled. “After some of the board members saw the

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film, they thought it had a good chance of winning, so that is why I decided to enter it.” Much to her elation, it won first place in her Track.

“It was the most amazing experience,” she said. “I was asked by Shar Yonan if

P H O T O BY J O S E P H P R E Z I O S O

I could start to bring movies here, and I wanted to do that for a community that was so nice and welcoming to me.” That is where her current project, The Look, comes into play. Shot at places like The Mark, The Padre, and Riverlakes Golf Course, the short film tells a story of an up-and-coming celebrity whose career takes off when a paparazzi captures her giving a certain look, and people fall in love with it.

Yonan is working as the producer, and Romano is the star. “Michelle really fell in love with Bakersfield,” Yonan relayed.

“She wanted to see more of it, so we chose this project and had it all handled in a few weeks. We are working on bringing more films here, as well.” Director of The Look, Shawn McDaniel, reiterated that, “This is my first time working in Bakersfield, and the community has just been outstanding and supportive. We shot ninety percent of the film here, and it is rare to get so many beautiful locations that fell well within our budget.”

With the genuine love that they have for our city, it is hard to tell who the real star of this film is—Romano or Bakersfield!

When it matters most, count on us.

DID YOU KNOW?

(661) 395-1700

On October 1, 1888, Bakersfield officially established a telephone exchange.

Just one year later, 29 phones were in service in the city.

Darlyn Baker, RN

4801 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield www.mybakersfieldhealthcare.com 24 Bakersfield Magazine

Source: Historic Chronology of Kern County

PHOTOS BY RAYMOND LIU (WOMAN IN RED DRESS), JOSEPH PREZIOSO (WOMAN WITH CAR), STEPAN BORMOTOV/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK (PHONE)

T

In & Around B•Town

A TEST OF

HONOR

A retired president of Castle & Cooke Development Company isn’t exactly a likely candidate for historical romance novelist, but that’s exactly why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Glen Hierlmeier, who in addition to his stead with Castle & Cooke was also an Air Force man and a banker, recently published his first novel (though he has published two non-fiction books previously).

The book, Honor & Innocence: Against the Tides of War, tells the story of a young American man drafted into the Army during World War II and his fight for survival and love. “I wanted to portray how war effects people who are innocently caught up in the hubris of powerful leaders bent on destruction, and how

WHO KNEW?

While Hierlmeier ping was develo ks, a O n e Sev o he was als is honing h nts. ri w ting tale

their honor is tested by desperate circumstances,” Hierlmeier explained. As a writer, Hierlmeier relies on finding those “golden nuggets” that propel a story from good to great, and many of those nuggets came from his late brother Hank’s (the protagonist’s namesake) tales of war.

The turmoil is plentiful in the novel, as is the romance. Turns out while Hierlmeier was developing the Seven Oaks development, he was also honing his writing talents.

“The writing process itself has not been difficult for me, rather, very enjoyable. I have no shortage of ideas to write about. I have been accumulating ideas for many years, and my iPhone notebook is full of them.”

And he’ll be using some of those ideas to write subsequent novels for his growing readership, including one that involves characters from Honor & Innocence. You can find out more about Hierlmeier on his Facebook page and pick up your own copy online at Amazon.com or locally at russosbooks.com. Happy reading!

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 25

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Call Eileen for more details: 661-665-9060 26 Bakersfield Magazine

Kern Facts Spreading the Word

T

HE LATE WENDY WAYNE TOUCHED MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, which is why her life is being honored in a number of ways in Bakersfield.

One such tribute is Wendy’s Words Libraries, free book depositories set up around town to encourage and enable those with little access to literature to discover the wonders of reading.

“Wendy was my best friend,” explained co-founder Susan Reep. “When she died, I was waiting for the right opportunity to present itself to honor her life.”

That’s when Reep remembered an article on Little Free Libraries she’d read.

“My pay-it-forward task was to leave a book somewhere for someone to find,” she said. But that seemed too small. So the idea progressed from a library to an entire string of libraries around town named after Wendy.

So Reep and friend and co-founder Pat Johnson transformed the idea into reality. “We organized a book drive, designed the bookplate using words culled from speeches Wendy had given, and I bought a library ready-made from the Little Free Library website,” said Reep. “We were open for business in November of 2012.”

Since then, more and more Wendy’s Words Libraries have popped up around town. “We have sixteen libraries, and a few in the works,” Reep explained.

And the community is showing support, as well, with local youth organizations helping in the construction of libraries (which can be nearly any enclosed

FAMOUS

structure…like an English telephone booth) and hosting book drives.

And anyone or any business can be a steward by placing a library on their property. In fact, the Emmanuel Lutheran Church has just announced they would be putting in a library at their location on Baker Street. “We need stewards but we also need books,” Reep added.

“General interest books and children’s books seem to be the most popular.”

For Reep, this project is the perfect way to honor Wendy. “She was always reading, giving or loaning books, and in book clubs. She loved to read and she dedicated her life to children and to making the community a better place to live. Our mission statement is to promote reading, encourage literacy, and foster community…something Wendy lived her life doing.”

For more information, visit them online at wendyswordslibraries.org.

FLYER

ESPIONAGE. GORGEOUS WOMEN. FAKE FABERGÉ EGGS. HIGH STAKES DANGER.

Yes, the James Bond film, Octopussy, certainly had everything you’d want from a quality spy film: even a connection to Kern County! The world’s tiniest jet (the BD-5) that was flown in the opening scene was one of just a few hundred to ever be assembled and flown. Of the few thousand kits that were made, one made its way to

our very own Kern Valley Airport! That’s right: if you happen to notice a miniature red, white, and blue craft perched atop a pole outside of the cafe, you are looking at one of those planes; the exact same rare model that blasted through the hangar in that film. Luckily, the jet will not be out to catch any jewelry thieves any time soon!

BOOTH PHOTO AND LOGO ART COURTESY OF WENDYSWORDSLIBRARIES.ORG, PLANE PHOTO BY JUAN JIMENEZ

Absolute Tile

Skilled Hands

Q-Tips, clay bars, & TLC

It’s in the DETAILS

I

PHOTOS BY ROBERT PEREZ

F CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS, Rodney Bowser is doing his damnedest to get into heaven.

So perhaps it’s his proximity to the pearly gates that has people clamoring for his automobile detailing services, or maybe it’s just that his skills trump those of mere mortals.

In either case, Bowser and his attention to detail are second to none.

As the owner of Independent Detail, a high-end detailing shop here in Bakersfield, Bowser gets to spend his days playing with the ultimate Hot Wheels collection, working on the kinds of big boy toys most men only dream of.

He began his career at the young age of 15, and he has only become more engrossed with what he does as the years

pass. “My parents owned the Sears Point International Raceway, and I would detail the race cars that were there,” Bowser recalled. “I was also working at a pizza place, and my bosses had really nice cars, like Porches, and would do car shows. They allowed me to work on their cars, and so did my friends.”

A passion for cars is one

thing, but a perfectionist to boot? He was destined to detail.

Bowser was completely self-taught, and considering his level of expertise, that is nothing short of astounding.

“I would take parts off of cars at junkyards and practice on them,” he smiled. “I worked on different fenders and car parts until I had it perfected.”

His reputation for perfection is gold. Which is why the people with the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, street rods, and full-blown customs are willing to put their babies in the hands of Bowser and his crew.

We’re talkin’ about keeping these cars in better than showroom condition, cars that can cost $100,000 plus, cars that are not driven on a daily basis.

Obviously, Bowser isn’t your average detailer (to the point that, at the request of his customers, he even learned how to detail private airplanes, which also tells you a little about his clientele).

“I love my job,” he said. “I get to play. Every day is different and each car is unique.

Some cars I will have for only three to five days. Other cars can take up to a month.” The reason? Nothing is rushed once the work begins.

If you happen to catch Bowser or his team inspecting your car with Q-tips, don’t be alarmed: they’re merely doing what they always do when it comes to detail work.

“Our process is very slow,” he stated. “Some places may spend two to three hours for an entire car. We take two to three hours per panel. When the buffing is done, we pol-

RODNEY BOWSER

ish the car, seal it, take it outside and let it sit for a while, and then take it back in.” But beauty isn’t only skin deep.

On the interiors, “we blow out all of the dirt, clean and treat whatever material, and we even have special tools that enable us to brush out little nooks and crannies that you can’t get to using conventional instruments.” That attention to the little things comes in handy when it’s time to do the undercarriage. “A lot of the bottom parts of the hot rods I work on are chrome and have to be cared for specially,” he explained.

Which means he’s not using Turtlewax or mass-market cleaners on these cars. These are specialty cars so Bowser treats them as such. He cares

for them almost as much as the cars’ owners.

If nothing else can be said about the man, he has an eye for detail that would make Sherlock Holmes question his own abilities. You may think you are looking at an unmarred vehicle, as no apparent marks or dings are present, but when you are standing next to Bowser, the car almost becomes a huge Magic Eye Poster. Imperfections make themselves known the more he guides you along miniscule bumps and small streaks and scratches that could easily be overlooked. He can be found pointing, remarking, “Do you see all of that?” (Well, now that you mention it...).

For Bowser, this is where the fun really begins!

“I love my job, I get to play. Every day is different and each car is unique. Some cars I will have for only three to five days. Other cars can take up to a month.” The reason? Nothing is rushed once the work begins. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 27

!

CITIZEN KERN

Her heroes: When it comes to those who have inspired her, Scott kept it close to home. She listed off her husband (local news anchorman, Jim Scott), her parents, and a woman who was often referred to as the “Mother Teresa of Bakersfield” due to her humanitarian efforts locally and abroad, Wendy Wayne.

Career Highlights: “Definitely my work with community leaders such as Kevin and Tuesdy Small and Bruce Jay,” she listed.

“Together, we were able to secure funding that fully supports local cancer patients and their families through the Kern County Cancer Fund and children through the Lauren Small Children’s Medical Center, which allows pediatric patients to now stay in Kern County for specialized treatment and care.”

She has reported stories from China, Romania, the Philippine Islands, Mexico, Nigeria, and Transylvania, and was also a lead reporter for the OJ Simpson trial!

28 Bakersfield Magazine

meet

Robin

‘‘

Mangarin Scott When I retired after 25 years, I decided to focus on my true passion, which is working for children and families facing cancer.

Her favorite part of the industry: That was a no-brainer, as she listed what she does best by answering, “Sustaining the well-being and care of my community.” This includes her time spent working side-by-side with founder of Comprehensive Blood & Cancer Center, Dr. Ravi Patel. “I began fundraising and volunteering for the CBCC pediatric transportation fund [upon retiring] and then Memorial Hospital’s pediatrics department,” Scott elaborated. Having the opportunity to meet and interview contemporaries like Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite may have been a close second!

‘‘

How she got started: This local tour de force in the healthcare community support has enjoyed a long and exciting professional life, thus far. “My career actually began [locally] in television as a news anchor at KGET-17. When I retired after 25 years, I decided to focus on my true passion, which is working for children and families facing cancer.

Two months after retirement, I began working fulltime in healthcare administration.” She has also worked for stations KTLA TV (Los Angeles), KTIE TV (Ventura Oxnard), and KFMB TV (San Diego).

IMAGES COURTESY OF KTLA TV (LOGO), LAUREN SMALL CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER (LOGO), KGET TV (SCOTT), NASA (CRONKITE), WIKIPEDIA.COM (CLINTON)

Name: Robin Mangarin Scott Age: 52 Birthplace: San Diego, California Title: Director of Strategic Marketing for Dignity Health Mercy and Memorial Hospitals

What she’d still like to accomplish: There’s no slowing down in sight for this woman on a mission, who constantly has only the best for the people of Bakersfield in mind. “To continue to share the Dignity Health mission of ‘humankindness,’ and to make it more of a movement rather than just a marketing campaign.” She would also love to “one day be a pretty good grandma!”

For someone who interviewed former President Bill Clinton, we think this will come easily.

Arlington Hotel at 19th Street and Chester Avenue

Dr. Herman Lemke was living the proverbial American dream. That is, until ...

z

Shooting Bee ~By Sarah Woodman

orn in Berlin in 1864, Dr. Lemke “came from a very

erating table. No danger,” was the deputy health officer

education.” He graduated from veterinary col-

State Veterinary Medical Association. Unfortunately, Dr.

old and wealthy family and received a first-class

ARLINGTON HOTEL PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BREWER, SAN FRANCISCO CALL CLIPPING COURTESY CDNC.UCR.EDU.

lege at the age of 23, and, after serving in the Ger-

man army as a regimental veterinarian for a few years, he immigrated to the United States. He settled in Bakersfield

in the early 1890s and opened a veterinary practice on

for Kern County, and was on the board of the California Lemke’s seemingly perfect life ended on the evening of

April 16, 1896 when, while sitting down to dinner, he was shot and killed by Lyons Brown.

Lyons Brown had been let go a few days previous for

18th Street near Chester Avenue.

insulting the Lemkes’ housekeeper, Angelina Sellinger.

dest daughter of prominent local farmer and former Con-

which was about two months’ wages. Dr. Lemke informed

In October of 1893, he married Maud Roberts, the el-

federate colonel, Elisha M. Roberts (for whom Roberts Lane in Bakersfield is named). The couple celebrated the births of their daughters—Eda in 1894 and Gertrude in 1896. Dr. Lemke was also successful in his professional life. He maintained a thriving veterinary practice that advertised “Latest improved op-

At the time of his dismissal, Dr. Lemke owed Brown $70,

him that he would have to wait to get his pay until Dr. Lemke was paid at the first of the month. On the morning

of April 16, Brown went to the Lemke house and demanded to be paid. Re-

lenting, Dr. Lemke told him that he

would try to get the money and would

meet him at the bank that afternoon,

but, unfortunately, Brown did

>>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 29

Upon reaching the Arlington Hotel at 19th Street and Chester Avenue, Brown ran into Deputy Canaday and told him that he had “a little shooting bee with Dr. Lemke.” of his chest. Brown’s next four shots went into the wall behind Dr. Lemke.

With his revolver empty, Brown turned to run, and Dr. Lemke shot at him with the first shot striking him in the left shoulder. Dr. Lemke’s second shot hit the wall.

Brown reloaded his revolver as he ran out of the house and towards downtown Bakersfield.

Upon reaching the Arlington Hotel at 19th Street and Chester Avenue, Brown ran into Deputy Canaday and told him that he had “a little shooting bee with Dr. Lemke.” Deputy Canaday arrested Brown and took him to the county hospital where he was held under guard.

In the meantime, the Drs. Rogers, Helm, and Fergusson were called to attend to Dr. Lemke. It was determined that Dr. Lemke’s lung and possibly intestines and liver were pierced. An operation was conducted and a hypodermic injection was administered, but Dr. Lemke fell into a coma and died at noon the following day.

30 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BREWER

not show up. At about seven o’clock that evening, Brown again went to the Lemke house. Entering through the back door and walking through the kitchen, Brown entered the dining room where Dr. Lemke sat with his wife and daughter.

Brown again demanded payment from Dr. Lemke. Upset at having his supper interrupted and his family disturbed, Dr. Lemke told Brown to leave and that he would talk to him after supper. According to Brown’s account, Dr. Lemke then pulled his pistol and threatened Brown. Both Dr. and Mrs. Lemke claim that Brown drew his pistol first. Regardless, Brown shot first. The first shot hit Dr. Lemke in the shoulder while he was still sitting down. Rising, the next shot struck him in the lower part of the right side

Carrying guns was a common activity in 1890s Bakersfield; consequently arguments often turned deadly.

The trial began on June 12, 1896. Although Brown confessed to the killing, there were witnesses, and Brown had openly threatened to harm Dr. Lemke in the days previous to the shooting, the trial was not straightforward.

First, there was trouble sitting a jury: some potential jurors claimed to have a history with Dr. Lemke and others PHOTO COURTESY OF KERN COUNTY LIBRARY

The Shooting Bee

Brown’s trial began on June 12, 1896, at Kern County’s courthouse.

were prejudiced against Brown. There was also talk of friends of Dr. Lemke lynching Brown although those friends adamantly denied it. Dr. Lemke’s reputation was also called into question.

Finally, there was the issue with Dr. Lemke’s gun—the defense claimed that Dr. Lemke’s gun malfunctioned while the prosecution showed that the

gun was in perfect working order.

Initially the jury was in a deadlock and asked to be discharged. The judge encouraged the jury to continue deliberating, and after an additional hour and a half of deliberation, they found Brown not guilty of killing Dr. Lemke. On leaving the court room one of the jurors was heard to say to him: “Be careful and don’t get into any more trouble like this.” Brown assured him that he never would, if possible. From the courthouse, Brown was escorted to the train depot and put on a train for his home state of Kansas where the Tulare Register noted he will “likely find satisfaction after his arrival east in posing as a bad man from the wild west.”

Epilogue: Dr. Lemke’s widow married one of the jurors, Charles Graves. The Lemke’s youngest daughter Gertrude died at the age of 12, and the eldest daughter married, had a family, and lived until she was 73. Lyons Brown’s whereabouts after leaving Bakersfield are a little cloudier. According to an Ancestry.com search, a James Lyons Brown was born in Kansas 1872 and died in New Mexico in 1938; he married and had a family and seemed to have stayed out of trouble. Perhaps Dr. Lemke’s killer took the juror’s advice to heart. Dr. Lemke lies in an unmarked grave in Union Cemetery. v

ONE MINUTE BUSINESS BRIEF

Alex and Mr. Jimmy

Blue Elephant Thai Cuisine

F

or the best in local Thai dining, look no further than Blue Elephant Finest Authentic Thai Cuisine. For over two years, Mr. Jimmy and Alex have both worked hard at providing Bakersfield residents with a truly upscale restaurant experience in a beautiful and clean atmosphere. With a casual dress code in a relaxed environment, you don’t have to worry about having a five star appearance to receive five star food and treatment at Blue Elephant.

Open seven days a week, you can visit for lunch or dinner to experience some of the restaurant’s specialty items. “Chef Pongpisanu is a wonderful chef,” said Mr. Jimmy. “He pays great attention to detail in all of his recipes.” And the selection of recipes is far from lacking. Whether you are in the mood for traditional curries or want to take a more adventurous route, Blue Elephant has you covered, from appetizers to desserts.

Fans of all fare from under the sea will be delighted with their Smokin’ Seafood, which features an assortment of sizzling

Whether you want dine-in, take-out, or delivery, Blue Elephant can cater to your desires.

Not sure what you want?

Just ask the friendly staff, and they’ll be happy to recommend their best dishes in accordance with your taste.

Serving up the finest Thai dishes imaginable.

8200 Stockdale Hwy., M-1 Bakersfield, CA 93311 661-833-8190 fax: 661-833-1536 www.blueelephantca.com CURRICULUM VITAE

fresh seafood, served up with a delicious and spicy red curry sauce. If you are looking for something more on the tropical side, then their Coconut Paradise may just be the right thing to sate your appetite. Nutritionally dense coconut meat and milk are blended with a variety of fresh seafood in their family’s own special spicy green curry paste, infused with fresh Thai herbs, spices, and green chili. For dessert, there’s a plethora of options to tantalize your taste buds with, especially the Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango. Thai sticky rice cooked with sugar and coconut milk, served beside sweet, ripe mango, are combined to provide the perfect end to a delectable meal.

Whatever you choose, you will never be disappointed with the selection or the service that Blue Elephant provides. As Mr. Jimmy said, “We are focused on the highest standard for both our staff and our products.” One bite, and you will know exactly what he means. Come out and see why Blue Elephant has locals raving! www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 31

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32 Bakersfield Magazine

HUMAN RESOURCES ❖

Fashion Rules at Work “It’s a new era in fashion - Dressing consistently with – there are no rules,” fashion their gender identity, or experts have proclaimed.

- Dressing comfortably beWant to wear white before cause of having a disability.

Memorial Day? Go for In the above cases, emit. Want to wear gold and ployers are required to silver jewelry at the same provide employees with an time? You can do that, too. accommodation unless it Today it’s all about the presents an undue hardship individual and his or her on the employer. Failure to personal style. do so could result in a disWhile that’s a relief for crimination claim against some (I do like to wear my the employer.

By Robin Paggi white jeans all year long), And the National Labor it can present a problem for employers Relations Board, the independent fedwhose employees’ personal style looks eral agency that protects the rights of like they have just rolled out of bed. private sector employees to join togethDifferences in opinion between em- er, with or without a union, to improve ployers and employees on what consti- their wages and working conditions, has tutes appropriate workplace attire have determined that dress codes that restrict inspired lots of employers to create com- employees from wearing clothing and pany dress and grooming standards. May accessories that express their feelings employers legally enforce their personal about their employment are illegal. dress and grooming standards on their So, employers thinking they’d like to employees? If those standards are rea- implement a dress and grooming policy sonable, the answer generally is “yes.” should obviously proceed with care.

State and federal laws say that it’s rea- Here are some tips to help in that effort sonable for employers to request that em- (not to be construed as legal advice): ployees dress professionally (for exam- • Have good business reasons for your ple, no mini-skirts or low-cut blouses), policy (such as maintaining the compapresent a neat appearance (no ripped or ny image, safety, etc.) and explain the wrinkled clothing), and have good hy- reasons in your policy. giene (washed hair and no body odor).

• Provide clear expectations by specifiIt’s also reasonable for employers to cally identifying what is not considered require most employees to have natural- to be professional attire (T-shirts, jeans, looking hair color and hairstyles, to cov- flip-flops, etc.) er tattoos, and to remove jewelry from • Explain what will happen if employplaces such as noses, lips, and eyebrows. ees do not comply with the policy.

Additionally, employers may gener- • Have employees sign an acknowlally have a different standard for wom- edgement form that they understand en and men (for example, women are and will comply with the policy. The allowed to have long hair while men form then goes in their personnel file in aren’t and women may wear earrings case they later claim they didn’t know while men may not). what was expected of them.

Employers must proceed very cau- • Apply the policy consistently, except tiously here though because they run for those cases where accommodations into trouble if the standard is not based must be made. on social norms, it differs greatly beA carefully drafted dress and groomtween the sexes, or it imposes a greater ing policy can help get everyone on the burden on one sex than the other. same page as to what professionalism Dress and grooming standards are looks like at work. Just because socigenerally not reasonable when they pre- ety supposedly no longer has fashion vent employees from: rules doesn’t mean that employers - Complying with their religious beliefs must follow suit. or practices (such as wearing skull-caps or beards), Robin Paggi is the Training Coordinator at - Dressing in their traditional national Worklogic HR Legal Solutions and can be reached at rpaggi@worklogiclegal.com or (661) 695-5168. attire (such as African or East Indian),

R I S K T A K E R S

Let’s Hang Out Finding Muertos Kitchen and Lounge for the first time can be quite an adventure. Tucked away in the heart of downtown Bakersfield, the eatery is accessible only by foot about halfway down a path that’s more alley than street.

B

ut that only adds charm to this “spooky and cool” (as dubbed by critics) restaurant that’s the brainchild of Shawna Haddad Byers.

“I just wanted to create a place where people could come and hang out with their family and friends,” said Haddad Byers as she stopped to answer a question from a staff member while greeting a customer who had just walked through the door.

Her energy is palpable. Though she’s met her goal to create a place where people can “hang out,” lounging is not a sustainable activity for Haddad Byers.

Always thinking, always doing; there’s too much at risk for her to slow down.

She’s not only put a lot on the line from a financial standpoint, she’s poured a lot of

herself into crafting, as stated on the top of the menu, “the Muertos way of life.”

Drawing on her previous experiences in retail and as a restaurateur, Haddad Byers took on the task of building a topnotch restaurant from a late nineteenthcentury building that once served as a fire station and stable.

“I’d had my eye on this place for a while so as soon as I had the opportunity, I decided to dive on in and start a new place that would bring a little touch of Spain, London, New Orleans, and San Francisco to downtown Bakersfield,” she said, her arms extending to encompass the wroughtiron tables, brick walls, plants, and slowmoving ceiling fans that lend a decidedly Spanish al fresco café feel to the back room of the brasserie.

She excused herself to greet a beer distributor, laughing as she remarked that she’s not sure how she’s going to get all the new beers into the bar, but that she’d find a way.

Apologizing, she returned to the table, commenting that she feels like Billy Bob Thornton in the movie Pushing Tin, a story of air traffic controllers. “Only I’m pushing minutes instead of airplanes,” she laughed.

One wonders if there are enough minutes in the day for Haddad Byers to “push”

By Tracie Grimes

as she manages the operations of the restaurant. With her day beginning at 7 a.m. and not ending until 1 a.m., Haddad Byers manages to accomplish a lot but admits that some days the biggest risk she’s facing is the threat of her body giving in to the need for sleep.

“There are those days when it’s hard to stay in an upright position,” she confessed.

One would think that stress would be a big part of her fatigue, but as tired as she feels at times, stress doesn’t seem to be a factor.

“The cool thing is that I don’t really have stress. Sure, I have the normal concerns of a business owner, but I have confidence in myself and my staff and have learned to take things with a grain of salt instead of getting all stressed-out.”

Even in the planning stages when there was usually a mountain of work to do while playing beat the clock to meet construction deadlines, her stress was minimized because she knew exactly what she wanted to do and had confidence that it would work.

“Sometimes people are thrown off a little because I speak so directly, but I know what I am willing to do. I’ve been working in the restaurant and retail business since I got a job at Mexicali when I was thirteen >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 33

Risktakers­ and know how to work with people and how to build a successful restaurant.”

Finding out what people want and giving it to them may sound obvious, but not everybody is willing to do the work that it takes, Haddad Byers pointed out. “Research is so important. A lot of businesses fail because people think running a bar or restaurant is easy—you just have to open the doors. They don’t do the research. I wanted to make sure Muertos would not only meet but surpass people’s expectations. To do that I dissected different aspects of my plan for Muertos, started looking at them from one direction to come up with a specific plan for that area, shot holes in the plan, and then looked for ways I could patch up the holes by coming up with ways to make the plan work. Do I have enough parking?

Do I have enough staff? After I’ve come up with answers to these kinds of detailed questions, I’m ready to move forward.”

After much planning, re-planning, and finally implementation, the big day arrived.

On June 5, 2012, Muertos was born. There was no fanfare, no ribbon-cutting, and no grand-opening celebration. There were, however, balloons.

“There is nothing grand about me,” Haddad Byers laughed, “so we didn’t have any big plans for a ‘grand’ opening. Then after we opened, I’m like, ‘I’ve just asked people to come into a restaurant named Day of the Dead. Maybe I should have gone a little bigger with the opening.’ Then my dad came up with a great plan. He said, ‘Just put some balloons out. That’ll draw peoples’ attention.’ So we got balloons. Some of them said, ‘Happy Birthday’ and some said ‘Get Well Soon,’ but they were good balloons.

And they did draw some attention.”

The balloons must have worked because in the two years Muertos has been open, the restaurant has gone from serving 50 people, then to 100, and now to 800 plus in a week.

It’s also drawn the attention of quite a diverse group of patrons. “Our customers range from people coming in from the tattoo parlor just down the alley to foodies and families. I kind of think of us as an adult Chuck E. Cheese’s; a place where you can party and have a lot of fun and not come off as being cheap,” Haddad Byers said with a smile.

Operating in warp drive is the way the four chefs and nine employees at Muertos make it work each night. “I have such a great staff. I’m not an easy boss, but I’m a good one. I’m in the trenches sweeping, 34 Bakersfield Magazine

“ Research is so important.

A lot of businesses fail because people think running a bar or restaurant is easy — you just have to open the doors. They don’t do the research.” cleaning—doing whatever needs to be done right along with them. I’m not afraid to jump in and get my hands dirty and I’m always here, which surprises a lot of people who’ve worked in restaurants where they hardly ever see the owner. I want to make sure they have everything they need to satisfy our customers. My staff loves this

her. It’s a lot of hard work but these kinds of moments really bring us a lot of joy.”

Not being one to rest on the laurels of turning Muertos into a success, Haddad Byers is planning to spread her joyful restaurateur ethos throughout the downtown area by developing three more eateries.

Crash, opening later this year on 18th and

“ The cool thing is that I don’t really have stress. Sure, I have the normal concerns of a business owner, but I have confidence in myself and my staff and have learned to take things with a grain of salt instead of getting all stressed-out.” —Shawna Haddad Byers place and our customers as much as I do and they don’t want to risk letting anyone down, so they just go, go, go.”

Speed is an important factor in the success of a restaurant, but relationships are what will make or break its success.

“We build strong relationships by making sure our customers are satisfied. My staff won’t hesitate to let a customer design his own dish if he is in the mood for something that’s not on the menu. Like it says at the top of the menu, ‘If we have the time and ingredients we will make you what you want.’ Giving the customer what he wants is the best way to make him happy.”

A happy atmosphere is the “coolest” thing about Muertos, Haddad Byers said.

“We are usually surrounded by happy people. People come here to celebrate events in their lives like birthdays and anniversaries. We’ve hosted events to raise funds for our troops. We have customers who can’t wait to share the Muertos experience with someone else. I just had a customer tell me that her daughter is coming for a visit and that she can’t wait to share Muertos with

Eye streets, will be a more refined lounge where business people can, as Haddad Byers pointed out, “land and unwind” while sipping on cocktails and nibbling on light food. INBread, a craft beer bar and deli, is slated to open in September on 19th Street. Texas 28, located in the building that housed Haddad Byers’ former restaurant, Fish Lips, will feature food, spirits, and fun entertainment. She could hardly contain her excitement over one of the first acts booked for Texas 28. “We are so excited about being able to book comedian Doug Stanhope! When he tweeted that he was coming to Bakersfield, I was like, ‘Hey! He’s talking about coming to Texas 28! How cool is that?!’”

While finding Muertos for the first time may be a bit challenging, it’s worth the hunt. One look at the old church door at the entrance, the mission-like armoire and built-in display cases, a bar that Haddad Byers likens to an altar, and the al fresco back room, you’ll see why she refers to it as a place to celebrate life. The Muertos way of life. v

Visions of Greatness Rock history, fame, and a very creative guy who was there to capture its glory.

By Francis Mayer Photos ©Ron Raffaelli There is a theater in McFarland that stopped showing movies more than 60 years ago; but if you know who to ask, you’ll discover that art is alive and well on the inside. But it isn’t through moving pictures, as they used to call movies— it’s through still images and a man who created them during one of the most important eras of American popular music.

Ron Raffaelli still has the props and equipment he used to shoot images of Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, and more than one hundred other famous musical acts, and they are lying around that theater in McFarland, which has been converted into a living space and studio.

Bakersfield, 1968

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 35

Visions of Greatness

Hendrix threw his heart and soul into his music. When he hit the stage in America, people were stunned by his new brand of rock-n-roll.

Except for the 1969 L.A. concert above, pictures of Hendrix on these pages are from the 1968 Bakersfield concert.

Jimi Hendrix rocks bakersfield!

36 Bakersfield Magazine

“I wanted to be an illustrator like Norman Rockwell,” Raffaelli said over chips and salsa in the kitchen area, “but I didn’t have the talent.”

He did have a talent for composing images.

“I took a photojournalism class at Pierce College that changed my life,” he added. The class gave him access to cameras and, more importantly, darkrooms.

Raffaelli quickly became a “darkroom wizard.” In the days before Photoshop and other image manipulation software, all special effects had to be done ‘in camera’ or painstakingly in a darkroom.

But the greatest adventures in Raffaelli’s career may have happened during the year that he spent as the personal photographer of one of the biggest names in late ‘60s rock.

“An art director had told me that this British rock star was getting ready to go on tour in the United States, and he needed a photographer,” Raffaelli said, “and I thought it would be cool to go on tour with a rock star, so I went up to this Beverly Hills house to show my portfolio, and when I got there, there were about thirty or forty photographers with their portfolios.

“When my turn came, I went into this bedroom and there was a Tiffany lamp with red scarves hanging from it, and at the foot of the bed, there was this handsome black man with a blond on either side of him, and one behind him on

Raffaelli with one of the “rigs” he used for photographic special effects, like the Rolling Stones’ “nesting heads.”(above) Raffaelli as a budding art student at Pierce College in 1967. (right)

the bed looking over his shoulder. So I gave him my portfolio, and I recognized who it was. It was Jimi Hendrix. And he went through all thirty of my photos in about thirty seconds. He hands them back to me and says thank you. And I left, thinking ‘what a waste of time that was,’ ” Raffaelli said.

While Hendrix had taken England and Europe by storm, he was only on the cusp of great fame in the United States.

“A couple of weeks later, I got the call that Jimi chose me, and the next morning I was on a plane to Hawaii to join him,”…where Hendrix was staying with his band on a large island estate in preparation of his debut American tour.

“The house was right on the point of Diamond Head, and there were guest bungalows where I stayed. I got up at about two in the morning one night to get a snack in the main house, and I saw a figure sitting off by himself in the sand.

He gestured to me to come over, and

In the days before Photoshop and other image manipulation software, all special effects had to be done ‘in camera.’ he had sculpted a giant face in the sand with his long fingers. He had connected the eyes and ears and mouth with a tunnel under the sand, and he blew smoke into the mouth and the wet sand held the smoke briefly, and then it slowly wafted out. It was trippy,” Raffaelli said.

“I asked him to do it again, and we had a good laugh. But then he said he wanted to ask me some questions about my portfolio, which surprised me because he only spent thirty seconds with my photos, but he had specific questions about them. I made the photos so that there

were second and third readings. There were layers to them. And he asked about the symbolism, and I realized he had to have a photographic memory to remember the details he was recalling,” Raffaelli explained.

It was the beginning of an intense professional and personal relationship that the photographer would come to believe was a life debt.

“We formed a bond that night, and I could trust him and he could trust me,” Raffaelli mused.

Hendrix would give him complete ar-

tistic freedom, including allowing Raffaelli on the stage with him during performances, “and that allowed me to get photographs that no one else could get.”

The first time he took to the stage with Hendrix was during a clandestine sound check outside of their Hawaiian compound.

“He couldn't play in public before the tour, because of contractual obligations, so he had a private sound check,” he explained.

Hendrix invited Raffaelli to the sound check with the understanding that he'd be sharing the stage with the rocker for the first time, albeit without an audience.

“I was getting down low to get these shots, and my head was by a wah-wah pedal, and Jimi said something to the effect of, ‘You've gotten to know me over the last week, but now you'll really get to know me,’ and he looked down at me and started playing ‘All Along The Watchtower.’ I've never been the same since. It changed my life. It changed a lot of things. I didn't know how to explain it but it was a life-altering experience to lie there and watch www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 37

Visions of Greatness him play that…his way of saying ‘this is who I am.’ ” As it turned out, the closeness kept him from capturing a historical moment.

Hendrix invited Raffaelli to his home one evening for dinner, and he asked him to leave his cameras at the studio. Raffaelli felt that Hendrix wanted to dine with him as a friend, and he internally debated bringing a camera before deciding it would be a breach of their burgeoning friendship.

During the meal, Hendrix and Raffaelli ate with the housekeeper and chef, and enjoyed a casual conversation until the phone rang and the housekeeper brought it to the table via a long cord.

Hendrix chatted briefly, and announced after hanging up that there would be company.

The doorbell rang several minutes later,

The Rolling Stones’ “nesting heads” album cover, 1969.

38 Bakersfield Magazine

Stevie Nicks, 1972 (left), Led Zeppelin Melrose Studio portrait, 1969. (above)

and The Beatles walked into the house.

“I couldn't believe it,” Raffaelli said.

“The Beatles sat at Jimi's feet in the living room and they had this high level conversation about musical theory that went right over my head, and then they left to catch a plane.”

Hendrix sensed his friend's profound disappointment and acknowledged it while encouraging him to let it go.

“So that moment exists only in my mind,” he said.

But it was his mind that was earning him work.

Raffaelli saw the individual components that went into an image, and it made him a highly sought after photographer of album covers.

For the Rolling Stones' 1971 compilation release Hot Rocks, Raffaelli decided to make a compilation of the band members’ heads, nested inside of one another like Russian dolls.

Today, this would be a fairly easy image to create.

But in 1971, it involved physical manipulation of the negatives in a darkroom.

“This is the rig I used,” Raffaelli said as he pulled an aluminum panel with guide rods along the edge out of a box in the main room of the theater. “I had it machined so that I could line up the negatives,” he added. “They had to be just so. I came up with the idea when we were flying over to England, and then I took the images back to the States and

spent some time in the darkroom.”

The negatives had to be physically carried back to his studio on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. There was no hard drive to back them up on, and that was part of the adventure.

So while the association with Hendrix opened doors, like, to The Doors, his talent kept him in the room.

“There is a verbal intercourse that is necessary when shooting rock stars,” he said. “They don’t want to be there, and they are uncomfortable at being told what to do.” Raffaelli went to great lengths to make them comfortable in his home turned studio on Melrose.

Sometimes he had to go to greater lengths to earn their respect.

“Led Zeppelin was coming into the studio to be photographed, and they were being chippy,” Raffaelli explained. “So I had a beautiful nude model bring my camera to me on a silver tray, and their eyes got huge, and they were very agreeable after that, and maybe even gave her a ride home later,” he said with a wink.

Raffaelli was creating art that helped sell hundreds of millions of records, and while many musicians got rich with his help, he did not.

“I wasn’t in it for the money. Making images was my heroin,” he said. “I could come up with an idea, shoot it, develop it in the darkroom, and then, later that night, I’d have this creation that didn’t exist the day before, and I absolutely loved that.”

Raffaelli explained that he would supplement his income by shooting nude spreads for gentlemen’s magazines.

“I would make more money from one nude shoot as I made for three album covers,” he said. “It just never occurred

“he looked down at me and started playing 'All Along The Watchtower.'

I've never been the same since. It changed my life.

It changed a lot of things.

I didn't know how to explain it but it was a lifealtering experience to lie there and watch him play that…his way of saying ‘this is who I am.’ " —Ron Raffaelli

to me to ask for more money. I’m sure they would have given it to me.”

But he was just there to create images.

“I think any artist should have a wife, or a spouse, that they can trust to make money decisions for them. Because the artist should be, and usually is, completely consumed by the business of creation,” he explained.

He isn’t bitter in the slightest, though.

“I love the technology,” he said of Photoshop. “It’s going to add ten years to my creative life. I don’t have the energy to lug Maui, 1968 around physical props and equipment, but the computer puts all of those things right at my fingertips. These folks who insist on shooting film? I don’t have time for them. They are like cavemen grunting and smearing colors on the walls. Why would you not take advantage of every tool at your disposal?”

And so that is the encore to Raffaelli’s creative concert.

He recently settled a long and drawn out lawsuit over the rights to his images, and he is eager to exhibit the images to satisfy his life debt to Hendrix. And he is willing to sell original prints to those that want a unique perspective on a historical show that often turns up on “best of rock-n- roll” photography lists.

He becomes emotional when he talks about Jimi. Said he was an old soul and a tremendous spirit.

He remembers the last time he saw Jimi, and how tired he was; Raffaelli felt that Jimi was wrung out...drained by the myriad of demands of the American Media Machine.

Maui concert, 1968

Raffaelli shooting The Grass Roots, Melrose Studio, 1970.

Raffaelli wants the world to see the images of his sensitive friend; the ones that were taken on the Hawaiian estate before the antics at Woodstock, and before the world watched Hendrix light his guitar on fire in a possessed trance.

The photos show a gentle man with deep brown pools for eyes.

“That’s Jimi…that’s what I want folks to see.”

There aren’t many photos at the Jimi Hendrix Museum in Washington, but there is a priceless library of them in McFarland, waiting to be seen by the world.

Many of the images on these pages haven’t been seen by the public before.

For more images or information on the Raffaelli Archives, upcoming shows, or how you can purchase prints, go to bakersfieldmagazine.net. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 39

40 Bakersfield Magazine

A tale of two coasts, seven decades, and one dream.

the f lying red chair

By Gordon Lull

So this dream walks into a muffler shop...

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEGGY CROWE

about. Let’s just say, Bakersfield was a pretty wild town back then.”

At the heart of everything— The shop was on 24th and N the up, down, in, out, and here streets, in Bakersfield, California, and there of everything—was and the year was 1958. their love of cars. Driving them, The dream sees four racing them, repairing and young friends, motor-head building them… grease monkeys, and says to “Everything was always himself—being the stuff dreams around cars,” he said. “Cars this are made of, no one could hear and cars that. It always came him anyway—“I know what I’m down to cars. We ate, drank, gonna do. I’m gonna get inside talked, and slept cars. Every day. their heads and their hearts and And then, at the crack of dawn, they’re gonna build me. And it would be all about cars again.” then, I’ve got something I’ve Slowly the idea grew to build gotta take care of in New York.” a rear engine dragster.

The four friends—Bob, Roger, “I don’t really think there was and brothers Jim and Kennard— any one time when someone were huddled after midnight in said, ‘Let’s build this,’ ” Crowe the shop, for the sheer joy of said. “It just sort of, you know, being around cars, talking about developed. It started with an cars, dreaming about cars. engine. Roger had this Chrysler Hemi engine in a Fiat coupe.

The work shoes scraped and We just kind of built around it. clapped smartly on the concrete We started gathering parts. We floor, occasionally kicking set the engine on the rear of the aside metal parts. Laughter rose ‘‘We just started building it frame and it developed from from time to time, each time and kept going. We had no idea, there. Once you set the engine, claiming a different victim. But all the time, the four were bolted really, how it was going to turn out.’’ everything else follows.” and welded together in the Crowe said that the process —Bob Crowe brotherhood of automobiles. was somewhat haphazard, The dream surveyed the scene. “This place is perfect,” he guided more by the availability of parts which just “seemed said. “I smell axle grease, solvents, soap, sweat, and burnt right,” not by some grand conscious design. coffee. Now this I can work with.”

“We just started building it and kept going,” he said. “We And that was how the story started. had no idea, really, how it was going to turn out. Once you start putting things together, it just kind of grows organically.” rowing up, I guess you’d say we were kind of obsessed with And what sprouted out of tubes, gaskets, bolts, rings, pistons, cars, with motors,” recalled Bob Crowe, sitting with his cylinders, and long, long nights...was what came to be called, by wife Peggy in the living room of their northwest Bakersfield some, the “Chaise Lunge,” and by others, “the little red car.” home. “We’d drive around in the family car and I would look out Then, also organically, distinct roles emerged for the four. and name every car on the road; make, model, and year,” he said.

Crowe drove the dragster, with Coburn and the brothers Warren “It was just natural to me, I guess.” acting as the multifaceted support crew, responsible for financing, Crowe worked at Bob’s Muffler in the late 1950s and had marketing, logistics, and the usual duties of a pit crew. permission from the boss to use the shop at night. There he would And then two remarkable things happened. First, the little red car tinker and dismantle, fabricate and build along with longtime began winning. On strips at Bakersfield, Porterville, Pomona, and friends and Bakersfield High School mates Roger Coburn, Jim Long Beach, Crowe laid up a sweet legacy of first place finishes.

Warren, and Kennard Warren.

But the second thing was, as the little red car raced statewide, “We were a close gang, really. We did just about everything it spawned a growing army of mesmerized fans who together,” Crowe said. “A lot of it, of course, I guess I better not talk couldn’t seem to get enough of it, or say enough about it. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 41

42 Bakersfield Magazine

As seen in this photo of the original car, Crowe was only inches from the pavement, earning the moniker Hot Pants.

Dreams are remarkably patient. It wasn’t until 2009 when the next chapter was to be written.

Rutkowski’s wife bought him a compilation of Rod & Custom photographs in the form of a pictorial retrospective and coffee table book.

“I was going through the pages of that book and there it was again, that beautiful red dragster,” he recalled. “It was like it wouldn’t let me alone,” he said.

So Rutkowski became more curious and ever more curious.

What happened to the vehicle? Who had it now? At first, he simply searched the internet for any sign of the car. Not a word, not an image. Then he contacted a friend at the California Hot Rod Reunion group. The friend remembered the car but had no information on it except the names of its builders. So the hunt changed direction.

The first person he called was James Warren in Bakersfield. The phone was answered by Warren’s wife, Juanita. “I wasn’t really sure what to say,” he recalled, “and I wasn’t even sure where I was going with it; why I wanted to track down the car. It was about as cold a cold call as you could get, so I just dove right in and asked about the car.”

Juanita Warren said that she had no information on the dragster but that he had called to speak with the right person, her husband James, but at the wrong time: he was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s and could not help. Rutkowski had lost his mother to Alzheimer’s

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN RUTKOWSKI

At 1,210 pounds, with a Chrysler Hemi, a 100-inch wheel base... as Crowe contended, “It was like leaning back in a chair. Anyway, when you drive a dragster, you don’t drive it, you aim it.”

Being so close to the ground—inches from the pavement, actually—Crowe earned a moniker: Hot Pants.

“Yeah, they used to call me ‘hot ass’ or something like that,” he admitted. “Because the wheels were so low my butt was close to the asphalt and could have gotten real hot. I guess that changed to Hot Pants. More proper. But the same thing was on the line.

“Once you get into the dragster part of cars, building them and racing them, the other stuff....stock cars and so on...that all goes by the wayside. You’re really caught up in the dragsters. They kind of take you over.”

“Damn right!” the dream whispered.

But after months of winning and soaking up the admiration of fans, the experience got, well, old. The quartet decided to move on and the little red car began its long, slow dissolve.

Piece by piece, it was disassembled, some of the pieces saved toward their new goal of building a front engine car.

“The fun was in building it, not much running it,” Crowe said, looking down as though part of him felt that the demolishing was a betrayal. “It was really just an experimental car and, to be honest, I don’t know if we kept it going long enough.”

The little red car had enjoyed its ample share of acclaim and even national attention, with stories in both Hot Rod Magazine and Rod & Custom. And today, Crowe’s home has a special room given over to the many awards and trophies won by the car that was like driving a chair. But, within little over a year, while its memories remained, oblivion had swallowed its outward form. *** On New York State Route 5, in the south-central corner of Schenectady County, the town of Rotterdam, bearing the nickname “New Italy,” formed the eastern end of what is known as the “Gateway to the West.”

“That’s where I was born and raised, in Rotterdam,” said Stephen Rutkowski. “But to tell the truth, I really grew up in a machine shop. I was a hopeless little motor-head.”

By this he means to say that his father had a close friend, Jim Young, who operated a machine shop near the family home. “I spent almost all of my free time there,” Rutkowski recalled. “My dad would sometimes drop me off there and I would spend all day, watching the men work, listening to car talk, helping out where I could, and reading a million car magazines. I was seven-years-old when I started hanging out there.

“I don’t remember if it was at the shop or at my cousin’s house— he was as much of a car nut as I was—but I was flipping through this issue of Rod & Custom and I came across this picture of the dragster. I was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. Really.

It was...breathtaking. I couldn’t get it out of my head.

“I remember cutting it out and taping it on my wall.” Other images would occasionally adorn the bedroom wall (including the ubiquitous poster image of Farrah Fawcett), but the image of the dragster endured decades until, long after Rutkowski had grown and left the nest, his parents renovated the room. He carried his passion for cars into adulthood, turning spaces in his Rotterdam home into fields of auto parts. And somewhere in the inner chambers of memory he held the image of the little red dragster.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEGGY CROWE

the flying red chair

Bob and Kennard at the 2011 Hot Rod Reunion with Stephen’s recreation.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN RUTKOWSKI

Fan and replica builder Stephen Rutkowski (in car) with Bob Crowe.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PEGGY CROWE

only months earlier and the two spoke for more than an hour.

Later, armed with a telephone number for Roger Coburn, he gave that member of the quartet a call. Once again, a lengthy, engaging telephone encounter followed, but Coburn, though still involved in drag racing, said he had “never seen or heard of it [the red car]” in all the years since its retirement.

“It kind of broke my heart but I fully understood,” Rutkowski said, “because that’s what often happens in the sport. You build something, race it, and then retire it. They had, from what Roger told me, taken all the parts off down to the bare chassis. There wasn’t much left of it and what was left of it was whereabouts unknown.”

Still, admitted Rutkowski, “I couldn’t get that car out of my head.”

It was when Bob Crowe, the driver, called him (after getting his number from Coburn) that the worm of interest began to turn for Rutkowski.

“By the time Bob called,” he said, “I had already begun to realize what a sentimental attachment these guys had to the car.”

So, while they were on the phone, Rutkowski began to grill Crowe on every component of the car.

“I’d ask him, ‘What is that piece?’ and he’d tell me and I’d say, yup, I have that part in my collection here. After a while I realized, I’ve got the making of two-thirds of that car in my attic,” he said. “It was truly amazing. So I decided I would build a replica of the car.”

And build he did, not with the jubilant abandon with which

The finished replica of the little red car is proudly displayed at the NHRA museum.

Messrs. Crowe, Coburn, Warren, and Warren had, but with the scientific precision of an engineer. And he used tools at his disposal not available in 1958. He searched parts on the internet and blasted out emails to suppliers. He put photographs of the car under high-powered magnification to identify names and numbers. He committed himself to replicating every inch of the dragster. When he had a question he got Crowe on the telephone.

Their conversations frequently lasted long into the night. He made several trips to Bakersfield where he became, in Crowe’s words, “like one of our own kids.” And, as his project unfolded, parts that were difficult to find would just “show up.”

On one occasion, Rutkowski said he was at a local shop in Rotterdam looking for push rods for the project. The owner brought out a wooden crate full of them, a crate that looked eerily familiar to him. Then he exclaimed, “I know I’ll find what I need in here. This is the same crate and the same parts I cleaned for Jim Young. I cleaned every part.” The owner confirmed: he had bought the parts from Young years earlier.

“I don’t know what you’d call it,” he mused. “Maybe it was destiny. It was almost as if I were meant to build that replica the way everything came together. Like some invisible hand or something.

“My nights would end on eBay,” he continued. “One of the most difficult was the steering wheel, a real odd-ball piece. But ultimately, I found it on eBay, brand new, right out of the box.” His goal was to finish the car before the 2011 Hot Rod Reunion in August.

Later, he would say, his only regret was that two of the four men who gave life to the original, would not see its replication. Roger Coburn died on Thanksgiving Day in 2010 and, soon after, Jim Warren succumbed to Alzheimer’s.

Just several days before the Reunion event, Rutkowski watched his “baby” being driven off by a dragster enthusiast who just “happened” to hear of his need to transport the car from Rotterdam to Bakersfield.

“You might think it was something of a letdown to finish that replica,” he said, “but it wasn’t. I think part of the reason was, I just gained so much from the experience. I have so many friends now in the Bakersfield area, it’s like a second home. I mean, these are lifelong friends I now have. And I love going back there.”

So, in under two years, the exacting replica of the little red car made its appearance, to rave reviews and, according to Rutkowski, to the delight of people who remember the original and say that, in their eyes, there are no differences between the two.

“It was great fun,” Rutkowski said, “and I had a chance to save a little part of history.” *** So the whole thing turned out swell for everyone involved. Bob and Peggy got to see the reanimation of their beloved little red car, and made a friend who has become like a son; Steve inherited yet another set of parents and made more friends than you can shake a dipstick at; and the dream, well, he came into being, in proud splendor, and sits now on the glistening floor of a Los Angeles museum, admired daily.

It is rumored, though, that because of his distaste for the silence and darkness of the long nights, the dream has plans to orchestrate a new embodiment.

He wants to become a spy drone. Sweet.

Editor’s Note: If you’d like to read more on Rutkowski’s build, plus see more photos of the process, log on to bakersfieldmagazine.net!

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 43

44 Bakersfield Magazine

[ Health is Wealth ]

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MEDICAL SPECIALTIES The face of medicine has been changing rapidly for the last few decades. Whether it’s cutting-edge new treatments for common ailments, research into unknown diseases, or simply rethinking doctor-patient interaction, specialized medicine is at the forefront of the entire field.

Because of that, this issue’s Medical

Specialties section promises to bring you up close and personal with some of those advances in our community through interviews with skilled specialists and members of the medical community who are helping to ensure the health and happiness of Bakersfield and Kern County for future generations.

New medical advances mean a better world for us all.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 45

46 Bakersfield Magazine

[ Reconstructive surgery is rebuilding bodies, confidence...and lives. ]

ecause of shows like Dr. 90201 and others in the “medical” reality TV genre, the past decade has seen plastic surgery even more glamorized than it already was. But mainly for the crowd that is already enveloped in the world of liposuction and lip plumping. For some people living with birth defects, scars and deformities from accidents, or those yearning to reclaim their bodies after an illness, surgery doesn’t seem like an option even though these are the folks that could truly benefit from reconstructive surgery.

Perhaps they haven’t taken steps towards fixing their scars because they are fearful of the pain or think that nothing can be done for their particular problem.

Thankfully, there is much that can be done. Though before one hops up on the operating table, there are some things to know first.

“Lot of shows are deceiving about the surgical process,” explained Dr. Darshan Shah, MD, FACS. “Before the commercial break, you see the patient visiting with the doctor for the first time and scheduling a surgery. Then the next segment is the surgery.

And after the final commercial break, the patient is healing nicely and back to normal.

What some people don’t understand is that everything relating to reconstructive surgery is a process and regardless of how smoothly surgery goes, there is a need for recovery.”

But prior to even having

surgery, there are a number of steps to take, and those are often left out of TV shows or even stories told by friends of friends.

“I try to make sure that the patient is prepared not only physically for the procedure, but also mentally,” Dr. Shah added. “There is a lot of up-

recovery time, no surgery is completely pain-free or without some type of scarring.

And that’s where another misconception comes in.

According to Dr. Edmund Fisher, MD, FACS, “Some patients think that surgery will be scar free. Although scars are often barely noticeable or

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NEW REFLECTIONS

front prep to be done in consultations. I want them to know what to expect during every step of the process. A lot of people come in so ready to change something about themselves that they don’t take the time to slow down their mind.”

To really think about what they are signing up for. Because while technology has advanced to the point where some surgical procedures can be done quickly and not require more than a week’s

can be well hidden, it’s impossible for skin incisions to be totally invisible.” So while people think that surgery can be a fix-all, reconstructive surgery is mainly to help the patient reclaim his or her body or self-image.

In reconstructive surgery, “Patients are naturally concerned with their appearance,” Dr. Fisher elaborated, “but also want the deformed, injured, scarred, or cancerous area I’m reconstructing to function as well.” Func-

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES

tion can be more important than form in many cases of reconstructive surgery.

“Recently I removed a skin cancer that left half the patient’s nostril missing. I was able to reconstruct it by grafting a part of his ear with the skin still attached to both sides of the nose cartilage,” Dr. Fisher explained. “He can’t believe how great it looks, his family can’t even see what happened. It’s gratifying to be able to make a difference in people’s lives this way.”

Skin cancer surgeries make up a large portion of Dr. Fisher’s procedures.

“Skin surgeries are not very painful but unfortunately patients will delay having an area that looks suspicious for skin cancer biopsied and removed,” Dr. Fisher added.

“That’s a mistake, because as the skin cancer grows, it requires a bigger excision and more complex reconstruction.” As in the case with the aforementioned patient.

Still, as technology evolves, more and more can be done to fix even minor physiological issues.

“It’s amazing…face transplants are a thing of the present,” Dr. Shah continued.

“And by using a microscope in surgery, we can bring tiny tissues from one place to another. We can use a microscopic blood vessel as a string to hold tissues in place.”

Then there’s the fact that surgeons today are now using Google Glass during surgery as a way to conference with other surgeons on tough cases. >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 47

Starley Pain Care of California Denice Starley, D.O. Pain Management & Rehabilitation Specialist

NEW REFLECTIONS And in his work reconstructing nasal passages, Dr. Fisher said that he often does cartilage grafts, fixes broken cheek bones, and fixes even the most minute skin cancer defects on the face. These are all procedures that weren’t always available even just a few years ago.

Which is why reconstructive surgery is rewarding work.

Dr. Shah continued, “The reconstructive part of surgery…people are just so appreciative,” he said. “People are more real-

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Dr. Darshan Shah istic about reconstructive surgery because they just want to look normal or have function restored to a part of their body.”

That’s just one of the reasons Dr. Shah ventured into reconstructive surgery.

“After medical school, I did five years of trauma surgery at KMC and I loved being there; being there for those types of cases. The types of reconstructive surgery cases that came in were interesting.” And they’ve stayed interesting.

“The first case I had when I moved back to Bakersfield [after studying at the Mayo Clinic] was one of my most challenging. A man in the oil field had a large piece of metal fall on his face…his face was destroyed. It took twelve hours in surgery to repair and he came out looking great. He still comes in to thank me every year.”

For Dr. Fisher, he was interested in facial surgery of all types from the beginning of his career, which took him to Cornell University Medical College, UC Berkeley, and the world-famous NYC Institute of Reconstructive Surgery where he researched correcting facial deformities with bone lengthening.

48 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. DARSHAN SHAH

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Dr. Edmund Fisher “The anatomy of the entire region of the face and neck fascinates me because of its complexity and intimate relationship to facial beauty as well as breathing, voice, smell, and hearing. Form and function in this area are closely related and that’s why it’s such an important part of the specialty.”

Still, there are cases where it isn’t so much about function as it is about form, specifically the female form.

“With breast reconstructions [usually done after a bout with breast cancer] you aren’t just reconstructing the physical, you’re reconstructing the psychological,” Dr. Shah explained. “There is so much fear and doubt on the part of the woman when she loses that part of her body in the case of a mastectomy or double mastectomy. With those patients, you really have to talk to them and help them through such an overwhelming time in their life.”

Such was the case for Pam Prestidge.

“I was devastated when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. I felt as if I had been punched in the stomach when I received the news. What was I going to do? I called Dr. Shah, who I had known from his time at KMC [where Pam works in administration] and asked if he would assist in my mastectomy and reconstruction, and of course he was more than willing to help me.”

For Prestidge, the surgery was as much to rid her body of the cancer as it was to still feel like a woman when the procedure was complete.

“The surgery went quite well due to Dr. Shah, my reconstructionist, and Dr. Hoehne, my cancer surgeon. The recovery was a bit painful the first couple of days but after that it was smooth sailing,” she added. >>

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4800 Easton Drive, Suite #108, Bakersfield, CA 93309 www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 49

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NEW REFLECTIONS “The best part about the surgery was waking up knowing the tumor was gone and due to a skin saving mastectomy, I had a small scar and a new breast. What more could I ask for?”

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50 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. DARSHAN SHAH

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at my reconstruction, but I felt like I was a complete woman and a few tears escaped my eyes.”

Later, when she visited her oncologist for the first time after surgery, Prestidge was impressed, as was her doctor. “She said it was one of the best jobs she’d ever seen. So I am so happy I had the surgery.”

Cases like Prestige are not unique, either. Nor are countless other types of reconstructive surgery to give someone back their body and their “self.” Both Dr. Shah and Dr. Fisher deal with reconstructive surgeries like this daily, including burns from house fires, scars from car accidents, birth defects, or deformities resulting from diseases like cancer.

So no matter what might be troubling you about your body, remember that there are options out there. You just need to take the step and discuss what to expect with a qualified surgeon...because the great outcomes of these procedures may even shock you.

“We’re always surprised at how well people come out of surgery,” Dr. Shah said. “The body has the amazing ability to heal itself…and we rely on that a lot as surgeons.”

[ Having trouble sleeping? Should you do something about it? ]

PHOTO BY JANI BRYSON/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

I

COUNTING SHEEP

t is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a busy schedule must be in want of a good night’s sleep.

Alright, so we might be misquoting Jane Austen a bit, but the sentiment is still there.

Most people want sleep, especially when they aren’t getting enough.

And we often make excuses for our lack of sleep (kids or animals, a spouse’s snoring) and just soldier on during the day, through work, family time, chores at home, etc. We might be cranky, but surely we’re okay otherwise. Right?

But what if the cause of our poor sleep is actually something a lot more concerning?

Dr. Muhammad AshrafAlim, founder of Bakersfield’s Lung and Sleep Disorders Center and a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, explained that a lack of sleep over time does more damage to the body than just affecting your mental state…

“There are a variety of sleep disorders, most common of which are insomnia [almost 35 percent of people suffer from this] and sleep disorders involving breathing problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea.”

We’ve all heard of sleep apnea, but exactly what causes this nighttime medical condition? “In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, a person stops or slows breathing significantly. The problem lies in the upper airway, in the pharynx and behind the tongue, where

there is a collapse in tissues that results in blockage that allows a limited amount of oxygen to get through. The result is a decrease in the amount of oxygen getting to the brain, so the body triggers a response to arouse the body from deeper stages of sleep to lighter stages of sleep. The lack of oxygen and lack of deep sleep—or REM sleep— leads to tiredness and fatigue during the day and increased risk of heart attack, stroke, irregular heart rate, and sometimes death.”

According to Dr. AshrafAlim, in central apnea, which is far less common,“the communication between the brain and the lungs and diaphragm are disrupted and there are often no breathing efforts for

ten to thirty seconds at times.”

Which is a scary thought.

“Both types of apnea are worse during REM sleep,” Dr. Ashraf-Alim added, when the brain is active but the body is not.

“Most people require six to ten hours of sleep to restore their various body functions.

Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep [less than 40 to 50 percent of deep sleep, which is stages 3, 4, and REM] will result in fatigue, poor judgment, altered hormonal function, irregular heart rate, abnormal blood pressure, and poor regulation of blood sugar and other hormones. Chronic sleep deprivation will also result in mood changes, such as anxiety, depression, decreased libido, erectile dysfunction,

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES

and more.” And those symptoms can lead to absenteeism, poor academic or work performances, automobile accidents, and more. Which is a big reason why anyone suffering consistently from poor nights’ sleep should see their doctor who can then refer you to a sleep specialist or a sleep clinic. Because you don’t have to just “live” with poor sleep.

There are a number of diagnostic tests that can be done locally to help your doctor discern the problem.

But what can you expect when you visit a sleep center?

“In our sleep labs, various forms of sleep studies are done including nighttime sleep studies to diagnose and treat sleep apnea and determine the levels of oxygen needed which can be then used in CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) and BIPAP (bi-level positive airway pressure) machines, devices that use pressure to reverse any airway collapses and in such treat obstructive sleep apnea,” Dr. Ashraf-Alim explained.

“But some studies are conducted during the day, such as the Multiple Sleep Latency test, where a patient is observed taking multiple naps to see excessive REM sleep, which helps diagnosis narcolepsy,”he added.“Another interesting daytime sleep study is the Multiple Wake Test, where a patient is watched during multiple short periods in a quiet environment to detect excessive sleepiness. This is sometimes >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 51

a requirement of certain jobs such as truck drivers and railway engineers.”

“It’s such a fascinating area of medicine,” added Rose Maestas, the owner of Bakersfield Sleep Center, which she opened over a year ago.

“Years and years ago, this was a field of medicine

that we didn’t know how to study. There were no tests to determine the cause of sleep disorders.”

Maestas has spent over 30 years in the medical field but she saw a need in the community for a specialized center for sleep testing, especially given the frequency of lung

issues in the Central Valley.

At the Sleep Center, most patients arrive after being referred by a physician.“Unless the doctor requests we do specific tests for a specific problem, we start off putting the patient on an overnight pulse oxymeter,” Maestas explained. “That’s some-

Rose Maestas

Bakersfield Sleep Center

Dr. Muhammad Ashraf-Alim

Bakersfield Lung and Sleep Disorders Center

52 Bakersfield Magazine

thing they can take home, use at night, and bring back to us to get the results. That way we can get a baseline for what their oxygen level is while they are still and sleeping.”

If the results warrant further testing, indicating a drop in oxygen when there shouldn’t be, the patient is then often asked to participate in an overnight sleep study so that more extensive diagnoses can occur.

“In the Center we have cameras that watch sleep patterns, how the patient moves, and we have an onstaff respiratory therapist that watches the oxygen levels throughout the night. We study limb movement, snoring patterns, and even teeth grinding patters, which can be indicative of sleep disorders,” Maestas added.

Further tests can deter-

PHOTOS BY ROBERT PEREZ

COUNTING SHEEP

mine just how much extra oxygen the patient needs during certain times of sleep, and then run tests to make sure the levels are correct.

The Bakersfield Sleep Center, just like the Lung and Sleep Disorders Center, will send off the results to a company that manufactures CPAP and BIPAP machines especially for that patient.

It may seem overwhelming, being studied while you sleep. As Maestas clarified, there aren’t tons and tons of equipment around. “Most of it is monitoring equipment, like cameras, and in most cases, very few monitors are attached to the patient and are there to measure oxygen levels and the heart rate.

“But we try to accommodate people. We have TempurPedic beds, wifi for laptops and e-readers, and can provide sleep aids. We need

them to feel comfortable so that they can fall into REM sleep and we can get conclusive results.”

According to Maestas, when we don’t get enough sleep, we’re putting way more stress on our bodies than we need to. That lack of oxygen at night, when we need it, can do some damage.

“Doctors are finding out that so many seemingly unrelated disorders are connected to sleep apnea, and that’s a real problem.”

For local architect Gary Olsen, it started out as a problem only noticed by his wife.

The 72-year-old longtime Bakersfield resident was snoring enough to keep her awake.

“So she told me I’d keep her up, but I also starting realizing I wasn’t getting restful sleep.”

Three years ago, Olsen went to see Dr. Ashraf-Alim

who recommended an overnight sleep study.

“It was somewhat hard to get to sleep but once you fell asleep, obviously, it was fine,” he chuckled.“And they put a mask on me that measured my breathing. They told me they were keeping track of how many times a night my sleep was interrupted by my snoring.”

Dr. Ashraf-Alim prescribed a CPAP machine for Olsen to use at night, which has been using regularly for the past few years.

“I get a lot more restful sleep, and it is better for me health-wise since it’s making sure I get enough oxygen, but I don’t necessarily like using it,” he laughed again.“Sometimes I wake up and throw it off, but it helps me get sleep and helps me avoid much bigger health problems, so I keep using it.”

Olsen said that the CPAP machine he has is portable, which is nice, and it didn’t take too long to get used to, in terms of his nightly ritual and trying to fall asleep with a mask on.

But since it was such a critical part of his future health, Olsen figured the little irritants were a small price to pay.

And so for anyone who’s ever been in Olsen’s position—whether they be the one suffering from a sleep disorder or the partner of someone who is—it’s important to find out if there is something to be done. It’s not just a matter of a restful night free of snoring, it’s a matter of overall health.

Because despite the lighthearted nature of the opening to this story, we don’t just want better sleep, we need it.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 53

54 Bakersfield Magazine

[ Imagine a life filled with confusion, chaos, and daily reminders that you are not quite yourself. ]

e’ve all had moments in which we’ve forgotten a name or a face or even details of a memory from long ago. We can laugh it off, shrug, and move on. But for those struggling with early onset Alzheimer’s or Dementia, these little moments carry so much more weight.

It’s a life filled with confusion and chaos and daily reminders that you are not yourself anymore. And for the families of those diagnosed, it can be just as big a challenge.

Shockingly, there are currently 10,000 people in Kern County who are living with some form of Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. When you consider population estimates for our area, that may not seem like very many people until you meet a person who has been touched by the disease; either as a caregiver, as a family member, or as a victim.

Oftentimes, people feel overwhelming hopelessness.

Jana Fermin is one of those people. For six years Jana and her family struggled with finding adequate care for her mother, Barbara, who was diagnosed with Lewy’s Dementia at the age of 78. Lewy’s Dementia is a particularly psychotic form of Dementia wherein victims frequently hear voices and have hallucinations. In Fermin’s case, getting an accurate diagnosis was the first step to making the treatment decisions that were the most appropriate for her mother… but it wasn’t easy. Fermin re-

By Rosemary Hobbs

MICHAELJUNG/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

W

A SILENT STRUGGLE

called the struggle her family underwent while trying to find medical professionals that could do the types of testing they needed. At the time, with limited knowledge of the local medical community, they wound up going to the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Clinic. It was a

traumatic event for everyone.

“We had to face all of this by ourselves,” Fermin explained.

Hundreds of questions ran through her head at the time, prior to the diagnosis, including the worst: “Where do we place her when we don’t know what’s wrong with her?”

The testing for cognitive

A caring staff (including Patty Flores, Robin McGarrah, Kate Eucce, Kristin Derr, and Sandie McDaniel) surround Sherin Bates and Jana Fermin, whose lives have been touched by Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES

memory impairments such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia is demanding and grueling. Fermin’s mother endured six hours of cognitive testing along with PET scans, blood work, and psychological evaluations to rule out other possibilities. Fermin and her family struggled with not only trying to be there to make treatment and housing decisions for their mother, but also in balancing the demands of their own lives. During the process they encountered several obstacles including the loss of employment due to the high demands of being a caregiver, and the uncertainty and difficulty of determining what to do next.

Cognitive memory impairments such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia are diseases that many struggle with silently; isolating in the confines of their homes. Alzheimer’s disease not only erodes the physical and cognitive functions of a victim, but it takes a tremendous social and emotional toll on family members and caregivers; many caregivers are over the age of 65 and often neglect doctor’s appointments and other responsibilities because they can’t leave their loved ones at home alone. “A lot of families have loved ones with dementia living with them and people won’t admit it,” Fermin said.

That loss of hope can be crippling.

“This isn’t something that just affects one person, it’s >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 55

A SILENT STRUGGLE a life-changing event that affects everyone involved,” said Kate Eucce, chief executive officer of the Alzheimer’s Disease Association of Kern County (ADAKC). “With the baby boomers, it’s becoming more evident that they have their own families to care for and then they have their own parents move in with them, so it affects family dynamics.”

ADAKC has come to play a vital role in the community for the very reason that it takes some burden away from the inexperienced family members and provides peace of mind knowing that loved ones are being cared for.

As Eucce explained, ADAKC was started in 1982 as a simple support group. In 1984, the members of the group decided that more could be done and they established a day services program. Since then the program has grown to provide not only day care for individuals with cognitive memory impairments, but also caregiver support services, caregiver education, and transportation services. According to Eucce, the specialty of ADAKC is helping families who are

Shockingly, there are currently 10,000 people in Kern County who are living with some form of Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. on the journey of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia so that clients can make friends that they wouldn’t otherwise make at home.

According to Robin McGarrah, marketing director for ADAKC, this is crucial in keeping the disease from accelerating too quickly.“Even though there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, studies show that day service programs help keep the disease at bay as much as possible. The more engaged and the earlier on that we start engaging people…that is going to keep that disease at bay,” she said.

For some time, Sherin Bates has been caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Bates currently relies on the support of the ADAKC’s day program for her mother’s care. She is thankful that such a resource exists in the community; a place where her mother can go for a full day 56 Bakersfield Magazine

Patients benefit from many cognitive activities provided during Day Care at the ADAKC.

of activities while the rest of the family is at work.“She’s tired when she gets home at night, they’ve done all of these activities during the day. They’ve played baseball, they’ve been in the garden,” she said.

Bates explained that the types of activities offered by ADAKC have helped tremendously in promoting the cognitive functions and integral social interactions that would have otherwise been lost if her mother was allowed to stay at home alone. “She has a goal now in life,” Bates said. “She’s been a State Farm agent, she’s been a mother of five; she’s always had a purpose and a reason, now she has this purpose... she’s going somewhere where she has friends.” Bates also pointed out that unlike most other programs, what initially caught her interest about ADAKC was that there was so much participation and engagement in activities. “It wasn’t just sitting in a room with a TV in front of them, there were all of these different activities.” Bates also appreciated the fact that her mother could spend a full day at ADAKC, which reduces the conflicts with family work schedules. Prior to discovering ADAKC, Bates was utilizing another program but that program only went until noon, which meant that Bates had to leave work frequently to provide transportation. “Luckily I was in a job that understood what I was doing and understood the situation and I didn’t get fired; not a lot of people could do that.”

Which is just one more reason why

the ADAKC is helping bring back a glimmer of hope in the lives of these families.

Jana Fermin can attest to this. “It’s the little things, like taking them shopping or letting them order at restaurants.” Fermin recalled several occasions where she would see significant improvements in her mother simply by engaging her in everyday activities instead of doing everything for her.

Eucce pointed out that of all the pivotal services ADAKC provides in the community, they are currently providing supportive services to 300 caregivers and their focus is to try and help the community by educating, offering support groups, and providing reading and video materials out of their library.

ADAKC also offers hands-on training with nursing students from Bakersfield College, Kaplan College, CSUB, Liberty College, and Santa Barbara Business College. “There are sixty nurses that come through quarterly, that’s one hundred and twenty people that we continue to educate and those are the people who are in the doctor’s offices and the hospitals and they can talk to the families because that’s what we teach them... to let them know that there is help out there and they’re not alone and it doesn’t cost anything.”(ADAKC offers home safety assessments, and service coordinators assist with community referrals free of charge.)

But while ADAKC is having a significant impact in the community, they remain limited in their reach. Currently

the facility they are leasing is licensed for 45 people, and they’ve already begun to outgrow their space. Funding for programs serving individuals with Alzheimer’s is difficult to acquire because the disease is not included under the umbrella of mental health. “It’s not recognized as a mental health issue, it’s not covered under health benefits because who are we helping?” explained McGarrah. “Are we helping the person with the disease or are we helping the caregiver? We are helping both.”

ADAKC is currently working with the offices of Congressman McCarthy and Senator Florez to have Alzheimer’s and Dementia included under the mental health umbrella, but until then they are essentially reliant on local community support. “The community helps keep this program running and everything we do goes back into the community, all the vendors that we buy from, everything we utilize is local,” McGarrah continued.

“We are local people trying to help our community... families helping families.”

With an eye toward the future and expansion, ADAKC has initiated efforts toward a capital campaign to acquire ownership of a newer, larger building where

“This isn’t something that just affects one person, it’s a life-changing event that affects everyone involved.”

—Kate Eucce, ADAKC CEO

they can not only expand the amount of caregiver families they can serve, but also expand the scope of what they can do in building a facility that would include an outdoor garden and area for additional recreational activities. McGarrah said that they are looking to raise $3.5 million, which means they would not have any commercial loan payment, which frees up funds to go back into the programs and additional respite grants for people who can’t afford to come to the program. They’ve already raised half a million.

There’s a long way to go yet, but with their eyes on the future, the ADAKC is trying to make sure that local families know they don’t have to struggle silently anymore.

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58 Bakersfield Magazine

[ New Medicine for a New World ]

he medical field has always been one of innovation and evolution.

For years, development of new treatments and technologies seemed to overshadow everything else in the industry—it was what we could create and how fast we could create it. But these advances would mean nothing if it weren’t for one very important part of the medical world: the patients, who sometimes got lost in the shuffle. But recently, there’s been a shift in patient relations, with local doctors and medical organizations focusing more on how patients access treatment and what is available to them in a medical crisis. And that’s why we’re very lucky to live in the place we do...

San Joaquin Community Hospital (SJCH) has been at the helm when it comes to stroke care in Bakersfield, and they have recently taken steps to ensure that outlying areas within Kern County are also keyed into their system. With their cuttingedge telestroke medicine program, they’ve branched out into both Ridgecrest Regional Hospital and Delano Regional Medical Center to bring these facilities lifesaving care that otherwise wouldn’t be an option.

Michelle Hartshorn, executive director of the Brain and Spine Institute at SJCH, elaborated on what, exactly, the program is and what it does for at-risk residents.

“The reality is that we are

San Joaquin Community Hospital

Recently, there’s been a shift in patient relations, with local doctors and medical organizations focusing more on how patients access treatment and what is available to them in a medical crisis. providing 24/7 neurology services to both Ridgecrest and Delano. We have a high volume of stroke patients in the Kern County area, and we are finding that the ar-

PHOTOS BY ROBERT PEREZ

T

PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

eas outside of Bakersfield are needing the services of a larger hospital.”

The Director of Marketing and Communications for the hospital, Jimmy Phillips, explained, “One of the many great things about this service is that when a patient may feel they are having stroke symptoms, they can

MEDICAL SPECIALTIES

be seen right away by a professional and it can be determined what level of care they need. They won’t have to drive to Bakersfield anymore: the physician they see by using telemedicine can decide what their next step should be.” This can potentially save both patients and hospitals money, time, and trouble.

So what, exactly, happens if someone were to use the telestroke service, and what can they expect? In essence, and as Hartshorn put it, it is “like bringing a neurologist to the bedside of the patient.”

Imagine using FaceTime or Skype (only without any of the glitches or delays) with an actual doctor while a nurse is with you, assisting in anything that they might need to determine what danger you’re actually in. One task they may perform in is shining light into a patient’s pupil.

“The doctors can then assess pupil response right down to the milliliter,” Hartshorn relayed. Essentially it will be just like speaking to a doctor faceto-face, just through the assistance of modern technology.

The greatest benefit is that the level of care the patient truly needs can then be determined. “If it is an actual emergency and they need to be hospitalized here at San Joaquin, then we will already have their information on file and will be ready to receive them,” Phillips added.

Regardless of what the patient may end up needing, it is clear that this will be key in saving countless lives. >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 59

PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST

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“It seems to [be] becoming more difficult to find a doctor that you feel really listens to your concerns and gives real consideration to what just may be your healthcare issue,” began local resident and RN Helen Witherspoon.“With the pressures the physicians are under to see a significant amount of patients a day and keep the diagnostic costs minimized... [it feels] like cattle being rushed through the gate.” That is until she discovered Dr. John T. Heidrick, and a type of service that some have taken to calling “concierge medicine,” or a program where the patient pays a retainer or annual fee and, in exchange, receives more personalized, enhanced care from the physician. “We write that check with a smile,” Witherspoon said, referring to her and her husband.

“We’ve finally found the healthcare we’ve been looking for.”

“Even patients who have been with me for a decade or more are completely thrilled with the type of care they now receive,” Dr. Heidrick intimated, also stating that his comprehensive wellness exam is a key component in his newest model of care that has his patients over the moon. “With the exam, I will first look through everything in a patient’s file, then we take an extremely close look at any issues they have or could have. Within the six weeks I have been following this new model and conducting these exams, I have had several life-saving events come up as a result.”

Dr. Heidrick goes through MDVIP, which he calls the “gold standard” for doctors who are seeking to provide the sort of personalized, in-depth care that he deals in currently. “The biggest difference between the MDVIP model and how I used to treat patients is that all of my patients are seriously interested in preserving their health and this helps to promote a wellness concept that is beyond what they’ve ever experienced before. I used to be so busy and I felt I had to rush with my patients. Now I can focus more on the patients, and they’re walking away completely blown away,” he said.

Both Dr. Heidrick and Witherspoon noted that a key component to this

PHOTO BY ROBERT PEREZ

model is being seen on either the day the patient contacts the doctor or the next. Also, he provides his cell phone number to all patients to contact him at any hour. Through the MDVIP website, patients are Dr. John Heidrick also able to email the doctor and/or check out any results from tests that have been taken.

This is key, considering that the wellness exam, alone is usu-

ally a good 15 pages of results and information. Additionally, the website provides resources for multiple concerns ranging from meal plans and healthy shopping lists to exercises.

“I feel like my concerns are being heard and my healthcare is individualized to my needs,” Witherspoon said.

Sometimes, it isn’t a matter of one-on-one care that people are as concerned about so much as the time they need to allot in their busy lives to even get to a doctor. Imagine, for example, the stress a busy mother could feel when trying to balance all of the household necessities while getting a child with an earache to a physician, on top of it. Kaiser Permanente is seeking to try and assuage these common issues a bit, and have started a pilot program that has only been used in two Walmart locations, thus far: one in Palm Springs and one right here in Bakersfield.

Sharon Peters, the chief administrative officer for Kaiser Permanente in Kern County, detailed, “We call it the Kaiser Care Corner, and we chose Bakersfield because Kern County is a smaller test market, so we felt it would be easier to look at foot traffic patterns and the like, and we can better control the studies.” She continued, “The Care Corner is open for all Walmart employees and Kaiser Permanente members to use, though there are certain features that everyone can use, like our blood pressure machine or they can log into kp.org and research different programs and topics concerning health.”

The Care Corner is always staffed by an LVN, and offers “a full array of technology-based services,” according to Peters. “If a member or Walmart employee comes in not feeling well, then the LVN can triage them and take vitals and >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 61

Atul Aggarwal M.D. Cardiology Clinic

PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST then connect them with Kaiser. The first point would be advice given by nurses. The RN can also triage patients with standard evidence-based protocols. The RN can give advice on home care, walk them through what is going on, and if they think the person needs a higher level of care, they can connect them with a doctor via telemedicine right

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www.ExcelDentalinc.com 62 Bakersfield Magazine

on the spot and can assess whether they need to go to urgent care or not.”

Dr. Julia Bay, Kern County’s Medical Director for Kaiser Permanente, said, “The philosophy behind the Care Corner is to provide medical care where it is convenient for the patient. When you think about it, you can get almost anything at Walmart, from groceries to banking services and

The philosophy behind the Care Corner is to provide medical care where it is convenient for the patient. —Dr. Julia Bay

Same Day Emergency Treatment

Thi Thi Trinh, DDS

Kaiser Care Corner

prescriptions. Now you can also get medical care. The LVNs are available Monday through Thursday, and the basic services that everyone can access—like weight or general medical info we have online—can be utilized 24/7.” And if a prescription is needed, Kaiser members can either go to their pharmacy or the Walmart pharmacy, while employees of Walmart can pick up their prescriptions right where they work.

So far, the local Care Corner has been very busy, which means that we could be seeing other spots set up at different Walmarts all over the United States. “We started at the end of last year around October and it is a two-year program. At the end, we will assess how successful the pilot sites are and will expand it into other communities,” Peters said.

We are fortunate to be in a veritable hub of medical advances and technology that isn’t always available elsewhere. From specialty services to cutting-edge pilot programs, Kern County is definitely the place to be for optimal care in the health industry.

Affordable Care Act’s Choice for Employers

SHOULD YOU

One of the pivotal provisions of healthcare reform is the employer shared responsibility requirement. This requirement,

sometimes referred to as the “employer mandate” or the “pay or play” provision, requires that large employers offer affordable health insurance to their full-time employees, or be subject to penalties. Large employers are defined as those with 50 or more full-time employees (or a combination of full-time and part-time employees equivalent to 50 full-time employees). Simply put, these large employers must choose to “play” by offering affordable health coverage or to “pay” the penalty for not offering such coverage. The “pay or play” rules take effect January 1, 2015.

There are two tiers of penalties that large employers could potentially be subject: 1. No Coverage Penalty: Large employers that do not offer coverage to their full-time employees (defined as employees working 30 or more hours per week)

Kimberly D. Schroeder

Molly M. Wilson

could face a penalty of $2,000 multiplied by the number of full-time employees in excess of 80 in 2015, and in excess of 30 for 2016 and beyond. This penalty applies if at least one full-time employee receives a tax credit to purchase coverage through a government-run health insurance exchange established under the Affordable Care Act, such as Covered California.

2. Unaffordable Coverage Penalty: Large employers that do offer coverage to their full-time employees may still face a penalty if the coverage is considered “unaffordable” to certain employees or does not provide the required “minimum value.” In this situation, an employer may face a penalty of $3,000 multiplied by the number of full-time employees receiving

By Kimberly D. Schroeder and Molly M. Wilson

tax credits for health coverage purchased through the exchange. However, the rules state that this penalty shall never exceed the“No Coverage Penalty.”

In February 2014, the IRS released final regulations regarding the pay or play rules. These regulations provide some transitional relief, as well as guidance, for employers. Some of the key provisions from the final regulations are: Delay for Employers with 50-99 FullTime Equivalent Employees: For 2015, only those employers with 100 or more full-time equivalent employees will be subject to the pay or play rules. However, beginning in 2016, employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees will be subject to the pay or play rules.

Dependent Coverage: Health coverage is not required for dependent children to avoid paying a penalty in 2015, so long as the employer is “taking steps” to arrange for such coverage in 2016. Coverage for spouses is not required.

Percentage Lowered for Acceptable Health Coverage “Offer”: Employers only need to offer health coverage to 70% of their full-time employees in order to avoid the No Coverage Penalty in 2015. In 2016 and beyond, employers must offer coverage to 95% or more fulltime employees in order to avoid the No Coverage Penalty.

There is no“one size fits all”solution for employers in determining whether to offer health coverage, and if so, what type of coverage to offer employees. An employer must be mindful of its employee demographics and income levels, the number of hours worked by employees, and the financial constraints of the particular business in determining how to approach the pay or play rules. Now is the time for employers to develop strategies for implementing their future healthcare compliance plan. The pay or play rules and the final IRS guidance can help provide a foundation for navigating an employer’s individual compliance decisions. v

Kimberly D. Schroeder and Molly M. Wilson are associate attorneys in the Health Care Division at Klein DeNatele Goldner. www.kleinlaw.com

ART BY TASSEL78/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK, PHOTOS COURTESY OF KLEIN DENATELE GOLDNER

PAYOR PLAY?

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 63

Dr. Ian Armstrong

Southern California Spine Institute Dr. Ian Armstrong is a Bakersfield native and a nationallyrenowned, board certified spinal neurosurgeon. He first opened his office in Bakersfield in 1993 and is proud to have had the opportunity to serve the people of Bakersfield and the Central Valley continuously for over 20 years. He is a second generation Bakersfield doctor.

Dr. Armstrong was inspired to pursue his passion for medicine, and his desire to serve others, by his mother and father. His father, who passed away at age 86, was a cardiologist and internist in Bakersfield for over 30 years. In fact, for a number of years his practice overlapped with his father’s, so Dr. Armstrong feels blessed to have shared patients. His mother, Donna Armstrong, is a retired RN who continues to be the unofficial “nurse” of her local community and neighborhood here in town. He’s proud of his family’s 50 years of medical service to the community.

Dr. Armstrong graduated from Highland High School and went on to get his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine, which is in the Texas Medical Center in Houston. The Texas Medical Center is the largest medical center in the country (as large as downtown Chicago with a population of greater than 150,000). “When I arrived at the sprawling medical center, years ago, with massive skyscrapers, it was larger than the town I grew up in.”

But it proved an important step in his medical education.

“Michael DeBakey was at Baylor and I knew I wanted to be a surgeon so I knew this was where I wanted to stay.” And stay he did. He had the opportunity to train with DeBakey for a number of years. During his 10 years there, he completed a general surgery internship, then a neurosurgery residency. He received many awards and honors while at Baylor and the Texas Medical Center including an NIH research award and grant for the study of spinal cord injury. Dr. Armstrong then went on to specialize in spinal neurosurgery and completed a fellowship in Marseille, France, with Rene Louis, a world-renowned

“Dr. Ian Armstrong, Diplomate and member of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, has a multi-faceted career outside of the operating room.” spinal surgeon. He then went on to complete a second spinal fellowship at the University of South Florida which included orthopedic and neurosurgical training before returning to southern California, opening offices in Bakersfield, Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles.

Dr. Armstrong has had a fascinating career over the last two decades.

He is currently the Director of Neurosurgery and Spinal Surgery at Southern California Hospital, a 450-bed hospital in Los Angeles. He is Vice Chairman of the Governing Board at the same hospital and is the CEO, Founder, and Medical Director of Southern California

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JDA

Dr. Ian Armstrong

Spine Institute (established in 1996). He is involved in teaching and research and works with spinal surgical development companies to research and develop new products and techniques in an effort to advance spinal surgery. He has been intimately involved with developing a number of products and companies. He is currently on the Medical Advisory Board for Aurora Spine, where he is doing research in the area of regenerative spine, working with stem cell technology.

He has been on staff at Cedars-Sinai Hospital where he was involved with their teaching programs, former Chief of Neurosurgery at Century City Hospital for 10 years, and served as a hospital board member and Director of Neurosurgical Trauma Services.

Practicing in Bakersfield and Los Angeles has afforded Dr. Armstrong a varied career. He has worked with many pro athletes and consulted with many pro athletic teams including the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys. “The only team I was willing to travel with though was the Pro Surfing Tour where I was able to see some of the best surf spots around the world.” He has been a consultant to Hollywood, and has consulted directly on a number of movies including Spiderman II, Charlie’s Angels, and The Matrix, where he actually received screen credits. He was also involved with the most recent James Bond release. “It was great taking my two young sons to opening night and introducing them to Mr. Bond himself.” His practice clientele reads like a who’s who of Hollywood, but of which Dr. Armstrong will not discuss the details. But hanging in his office

8701 Camino Media, Suite C • (661) 665-2070 fax (661) 558-1302 64 Bakersfield Magazine

www.IanArmstrongMD.com

is a painting created by and given to him out of appreciation by one of his favorite patients, Frank Sinatra.

He has appeared on the national TV show The Doctors on a number of occasions, CBS’ Rescue 911, a number of local and national news broadcasts, and has been quoted in papers including the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times.

His passion to serve others and his medical skills have taken Dr. Armstrong on a number of fascinating journeys from the jungles of Haiti, immediately after the recent earthquake, to the inner city streets of Los Angeles and Houston.

Through his career, training, teaching, and research has taken Dr. Armstrong around the country and around the world, he feels the most important lessons he learned about medicine were here in Bakersfield from his mother and father: serve others, and treat every patient as if they were a family member. What course of action would you take; what test would you order; what surgery would you perform if the patient before you was your brother, sister, or parent?

Throughout Armstrong’s childhood, his father had a plaque with the Hippocratic Oath hanging in his office. “I read this at different stages of my life. As a little boy I would climb up on a chair to look at it, and impressed my father that I could read it at all. As a young man I would study it and try to comprehend its meaning; as a college student and as a medical student, I would read it and wonder if I had what it would take to become a doctor and live up to it. As a physician I would sit in my father’s office with him and read it to remind me of my goals and purpose as a physician. Since my father’s death it hangs on my office wall reminding me of the journey and what is important in medicine.”

Dr. Armstrong developed a passion for medicine and service as a young man through his mother and father. “I was blessed that I was able to pursue my passion, and I never really had to make a career decision because of their early influence.” Because of this, in part, Dr. Armstrong founded the Medical Mentors Program, where he takes young people into the hospital and surgery in an effort to hopefully ignite an interest and passion in the next generation of healers who will someday go on to take the Hippocratic Oath and serve others.

Dr. Armstrong was not only influenced by his

parents but he was also influenced by others while growing up in Bakersfield. He worked as a nurse’s aide at KMC and an orderly at Mercy Hospital. Some of his mentors were: Tom Larwood, MD; George Ablin, MD, a local neurosurgeon who was actually came to Dr. Armstrong’s Bakersfield office opening years ago; Donald Loos, MD; Marshall Lewis, MD; Joe Anderson, MD; William Casteen, MD; Aileen Matuck, MD; and Mike Huckert, a coach/teacher.

Despite his love for medicine, Dr. Armstrong puts his faith and family first. “Faith first; family, friends, fun, and work a distant fifth.

I try to start every day in the Bible and prayer and I look at medicine as my ministry. My wife and three children are far more important to me than anything I could do through my career.” He has found time to take his kids to school every day, teach fifth grade science at a local Christian school, and go on every field trip with his kids through the years. He and his wife helped start a Christian middle school from the ground up and served on the board for a number of years, he has taught a men’s leadership class to young men in junior high.

Dr. Armstrong feels blessed to be from Bakersfield and have Bakersfield roots. You can frequently hear the sounds of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard emanating from his operating room during surgery. “It is an honor to be a part of this excellent medical community and serve the good people of Bakersfield.”

He hopes to continue to do this for many years to come, just as his parents before him did.

Medical Mentors Program.

Inspiring the next generation of healers

Haiti immediately after the earthquake.

Proverbs 3:5

As seen on The Doctors TV show

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 65

Aloha Dentistry

Enhancing Smiles For Today And Tomorrow When it comes to orthodontic care, you want to be certain that you’re getting some of the best care possible. At Aloha Dentistry, Dr. Bruce Gloeckner and his personable staff make every patient’s experience as special as they are. With a unique and relaxing atmosphere, you can count on virtually no wait time and having as much work done as is possible within a sitting. But not to worry: you will never feel rushed in this little island getaway.

A Bakersfield native, Dr. Gloeckner has been in the field for decades, and began his training with Dr. Melvin Kipnis after graduating from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco. In 1980, he took over the pedodontic practice, and was a dentist in the area for 20 years, altogether. “I had retired in 1998,” Dr. Gloeckner reminisced. “Or, at least I thought I did. After I sold my practice, I came back to Bakersfield, and it didn’t take long before I realized how much I enjoyed working in orthodontics.” He has been producing countless happy smiles in Bakersfield ever since.

What Dr. Gloeckner described as an “energetic, fun staff and environment,” Aloha Dentistry specializes in what he’s termed as “Developmental Orthodontics.” This type of care embraces the concept that preventative measures are the best way to go, and are ultimately cheaper than repair. Much like an orthopedist would work with a child’s misshapen leg by using braces and different therapies continually for optimal correction, an orthodontist can do the same with our teeth and jaws.

“There are several factors that can adversely affect the growth and alignment of our upper teeth and jaws,” he explained. What this means for us is that as our adult teeth are developing, they are rooted in a foundation which prevents them from coming in straight. “Until now, that has meant costly and involved reparation of misaligned teeth which often recurs in adulthood because the main problem—jaw alignment—wasn’t properly treated, in the first place,” Dr. Gloeckner elaborated.

Additionally, he takes extra care to factor in conditions like respiratory impairment, inappropriate diet, and food allergies which contribute to “improper growth of the jaw.” This all makes for misaligned teeth starting to form in teen years. Able to diagnose potential jaw formation issues in children as young as two to three years old (and begin treatment by the ages of five or six), he can implement basic orthopedic corrections that assist in properly aligning the mouth and jaw early on to assure a beautiful and healthy smile in the future.

Aloha Dentistry also treats adults, as well as children, though the care is less intensive and can be seen as more of a “quick fix” situation. “Most adults come in wanting Invisalign or braces,” Dr. Gloeckner stated. Interestingly, he also noted that a good deal of modern plastic surgery may be due to a lack of correct measures taken with an improperly formed jaw or when other orthodontic issues are neglected. Everything from nose jobs to lip injections can be traced back to these fundamental problems.

Erica Gonzales, Dawn Wood, Dr. Bruce Gloeckner, Nanja Galindo, Michele Hunt

A true functional orthodontist, Dr. Gloeckner stands beside his assertion that these early treatments can help to alleviate—if not prevent, altogether—issues that begin in childhood and get worse into adulthood. Painful jaw function, difficulty breathing, a poor self-image, an assortment of medical illnesses, and even speech issues can all have much more to do with your teeth and jaw than you may realize. “We can easily save a patient tens of thousands of dollars in work by taking preventative measures,” he said.

Aside from the exceptional level of care, one of the best parts of this practice is that there are several financing options available. With some insurances, they can even offer monthly plans from $119 or less per month. There are different plans to choose from, so you can select the option that works best with your needs. Patients can be seen quickly (say goodbye to month-long waits!) and their use of stateof-the-art technology means that results are accurate and reliable.

A local tradition in top-notch orthodontic care in Bakersfield, Ahola Dentistry is here to serve the needs of the community in a completely different way. Come and experience the difference in service and take comfort in being treated like family.

3726 Coffee Road, Suite A • (661) 588-1643 66 Bakersfield Magazine

www.AlohaDentistryinBakersfield.com

Optimal Hospice

Hospice...It’s About Living As the largest hospice provider in Kern County, Optimal Hospice is dedicated to their mission statement, “As a team, we combine compassion with the art and science of medicine to help patients and families live life to its fullest.”

Blake Molhook, Administrator and Director of Patient Care Services, noted this is one of the many things that he loves about being a part of the Optimal team. After many years in the healthcare industry, Molhook joined Optimal in 2009. “I believe we provide a highly unique and specialized service,” he said. “I love leading a team of professionals that possess such incredible skills, and who provide compassionate care. This is made evident by the countless cards and letters received from families, sharing their praise for our staff and their positive experience while on hospice.”

Director of Community Relations Todd Jeffries agreed, and shared that many of Optimal’s specialized programs have also contributed to their level of success. “Our We Honor Veterans program is a result of teaming up with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and

Blake Molhook, RN, MSN, PHN, CHA the VA to acknowledge and address the unique needs of veterans in regards to their end-of-life care,” he said. “The DreamCatchers program brings local high school students together to fulfill patient wishes, and most recently we started providing continuing education courses to administrators of senior assisted living facilities.” When it comes to hospice care, it is clear why Optimal Hospice has become a trusted resource for residents in Kern County.

1675 Chester Avenue, Suite 401 • (661) 716-4000

www.OptimalCares.com

Wall’s Hearing Aid Center, Inc. “It’s Never Too Early To Hear Better”

It’s been over 50 years since Vernon T. Wall founded Wall’s Hearing Aid Center in his living room on Columbus Avenue, and yet the heart of the business hasn’t changed.

“Our goal has been and always will be to bring better hearing to our community,” explained Kenneth Wall, Vernon’s son, who picked up where his father left off.

Wall is a State Licensed and Nationally Board Certified in Hearing Instrument Sciences. Not to mention, he is an award winner in the Starkey Hearing Alliance and has also served on the State Hearing HealthCare Providers Board for 15 years.

“It’s not just the quality of your hearing, we provide hearing products to improve your quality of life. Having better hearing is more than having the best products on the market,” Wall said.

“Our staff give you the personal attention, support, and care you deserve.”

That care involves administering hearing testing and helping patients select the right hearing technology to fit their lifestyle.

And Wall’s has consistently evolved to stay current on technology.

“Fifty years ago hearing aids used analog circuits, in 1995

Kenneth Wall digital hearing aids entered the market place—which meant we could do more specific fine tuning—and now in the digital world, changes come rapidly. Our Hearing Aid Dispensers retrain every three to four months to stay up-to-date on changes to hearing technology.”

It’s that dedication to state-of-the-art diagnostic services and products, not to mention high quality care for their patients, that puts Wall’s Hearing Aid Center is on a level all its own.

4800 Easton Drive, Suite 108 • (661) 368-9859

www.whaci.com

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 67

Achilles Prosthetics & Orthotics

Logan M. Newton, CP, BOCO-Prosthetist/Orthotist Over the last few years, Achilles Prosthetics & Orthotics has evolved thanks to the second generation of highly trained and exceptionally skilled certified practitioners serving our community.

Logan Newton, CP, is bringing prosthetic care to new levels of excellence with his vast knowledge of the latest technology in componentry, such as microprocessor knees, ankles, and myoelectric hands. But regardless of the componentry used, the real test of a prosthetist is making a comfortable, functional, well-fitting socket.

This is where Newton excels because he is a true artist. He uses stateof-the-art vacuum casting techniques to capture the best molds and personally hand modifies each cast to create the best possible fit. He truly puts the “ART” in artificial limbs. Although the high-tech knees and feet get the most attention, comfort and weight are the two most important aspects when it comes to a prosthesis. “You can utilize the most technologically advanced componentry on a prosthesis,” Newton explained. “But without a comfortable, properly fitting socket, the prosthesis will feel heavy and not function to its maximum capability.”

The future holds many advancements, specifically in computer aided design (CAD) of prosthetic limbs. Molds can be captured utilizing

Logan Newton, CP, BOCO-Prosthetist/Orthotist a scanner and streamed directly into the computer. From there, the prosthetist can then modify the mold directly and carve out a replica of the patient’s limb. This creates a faster, streamlined process for the patient, and limits human error in the design. “Achilles has always been on the cutting edge of our field, and we plan on staying current on the latest technologies available.” One thing that will never change, however, is Achilles’ dedication to patients, providing the best possible products with expertise and compassion.

2624 F Street • (661) 323-5944

www.achillespo.com

Dr. Stephen Ratty

Quality Care With A Personal Touch Offering personalized eye care in a friendly environment, Stephen Ratty, O.D., Fred Narzisi, O.D., and their staff are here to help your entire family see better.

Both Drs. Ratty and Narzisi graduated from Pacific University, College of Optometry in 1982 and Dr. Ratty started his practice in 1983. In 1994, he was joined by Dr. Narzisi at the current office.

“Our goal is to provide a reliable service and experience that will encourage every patient to return to our office year after year,” explained Dr. Ratty. But it’s not just the environment that brings patients back—it’s the first-class eye care. “We are equipped with the latest technologies to ensure that we are administering excellent and accurate exams,” he added.

In addition to personalized service from experienced technicians that have been working with Dr. Ratty for decades and a large selection of eyewear and lens options to fit everyone’s budget, Drs. Ratty and Narzisi are certified to treat glaucoma and regularly attend seminars throughout the year to keep updated with current medical changes. All this considered,

Stephen Ratty, O.D. it’s easy to see why this practice has been voted a Best of Bakersfield eye provider for years!

2222 E Street, Suite 1 (Corner of 23rd and E streets) • (661) 327-2681 68 Bakersfield Magazine

www.stephenrattyod.com

Stockdale Radiology Local Screening. Local Care

Since opening in December of 2013, Stockdale Radiology, a fullservice imaging center, continues to combine innovative medical imaging services with quality care.

Founded by Dr. David Suadi, DO, and Dr. Gabriel Gelves, DO, Stockdale Radiology offers a host of cutting-edge technologies in a comforting, spa-like environment.

The center’s board certified, fellowship trained radiologists, which also include Drs. Richard Nguyen, MD; Edward Iuliano, DO; and Interventional Radiology specialist Roben Ahdoot, MD, have over three decades of combined experience and specialize in breast imaging, musculoskeletal imaging, and neuroradiology.

Stockdale Radiology also encompasses its own Women’s Center, an ACR accredited Mammography Center. Local women have the option of choosing the Microdose Mammogram which offers a 40 percent reduction in dose compared to a regular digital mammogram, superior image quality, warm curved compression plates, and shorter scan times.

The 64-slice CT features Idose radiation reduction ensuring the smallest dose of radiation is given to achieve the exam. The center also has a state-of-the-art Hologic Biopsy System including the

Talented and dedicated staff at Stockdale Radiology newest model hologic table, which allows the doctor to see any biopsy location. Providing a comfortable memory foam padding system to reduce patient stress.

Ultimately, Stockdale Radiology’s state-of-the-art facility and best-in-class equipment allow the team of knowledgeable and talented staff to maintain a high degree of accuracy in their imaging services and provide efficient care with expertise and compassion to the Bakersfield community.

4000 Empire Drive, Suite 100 • (661) 631-8000

www.StockdaleRad.com

Kern Neurosurgical Institute “Where Competence Meets Compassion.”

For neurosurgeon Dr. Jan Eckermann, medicine was a way for him to help people in the most critical moments of their lives.

“But it was relatively late in medical school [Loma Linda University School of Medicine] that I developed an interest in neurosurgery,” Dr. Eckermann explained. “It’s a field in which there is still so much unknown about the brain and what we can do to remedy the disorders that affect the brain and spine.”

After he completed medical school in 2004, Dr. Eckermann attended Cornell for his internship before completing a residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center in 2010.

A year-long fellowship in neuro-oncology at Stanford followed.

While there, Dr. Eckermann had an opportunity to moonlight at Kern Medical Center in the neurosurgery department. “I would fly down on weekends and make a little extra money,” he explained.

“And then the town grew on me and KMC recruited me in 2011.”

He became the chief of the Division of Neurosurgery at KMC. And just last year, Dr. Eckermann founded the Kern Neurosurgical Institute, which provides surgical services to patients suffering from neurological disorders, including brain and spinal tumors.

Dr. Jan M. Eckermann And in addition to his surgical expertise, Dr. Eckermann uses humor to help his patients. “It’s not about treating any situation lightly—these are serious conditions—but integrating some humor into my interactions with my patients to help break some of the tension,” he added, noting that outside of work, he loves performing stand-up comedy and spending time with his wife and children.

“I’m not the classic surgeon; I’m not the stiff, academic type. I love relating to my patients and making their lives better.”

1524 27th Street, Suite 301 • (661) 843-7880 | 1700 Mt. Vernon Avenue

www.KernNeuro.org

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 69

Dr. Denice Starley, D.O. Pain Management Specialist

Prior to coming to Bakersfield and helping treat the pain of the patients at Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Denice Starley began her career in palliative care at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences.

“I have a natural empathy for pain patients and try to offer all possible state-of-the-art treatments available in the field,” Dr. Starley explained, adding that she completed her residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Washington University/ Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She continued studying pain intervention in Las Vegas, Provo (Utah), and Atlanta, honing her specialty as she went. “I also helped Elko Regional Hospital [in Nevada] set up a pain program for their hospital.”

Board certified with the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Pain Medicine, Dr. Starley has spent the last year helping to lessen the pain of local residents on an outpatient basis, treating everything from sciatic pain to arthritis.

“Most people think pain is only treated with medication, but we want to minimize the pills taken and optimize treatment via other

Denice Starley, D.O. procedures, like joint injections and epidural steroid injections,” she said. Dr. Starley also believes in the importance of medication rotation. “When a patient builds up a tolerance for medication, I won’t increase the dosage, but switch to a different type of medication.”

It’s all in her attempt to see each patient as an individual and treat them using state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures and treatments.

“If I can ease even a little of their pain, then the world is a better place.”

2152 Coffee Road • (661) 588-5808

LifeHOUSE

Enhancing Life. Advancing Wellness.

LifeHOUSE Bakersfield Health and Rehabilitation Center is a top choice when considering organizations that provide quality health services, rehabilitation, and long-term senior care services right here in Kern County.

Their compassionate staff understands that choosing a nursing home can be a difficult decision, especially when taking into consideration long-term care and rehabilitation needs. This is why, at LifeHOUSE, they provide a friendly and welcoming environment where residents can regain their strength to either return home, or to stay on as part of their loving community.

The staff of caring professionals at LifeHOUSE takes great pride in delivering quality care to both the residents as well as a crucial support to their families. You can schedule a tour with them today and learn why so many families, like yours, have made LifeHOUSE Bakersfield their first choice in skilled nursing and rehabilitation services.

The rehabilitation services offered at LifeHOUSE Bakersfield range from stroke, heart attack, hip fractures, hip replacements, knee replacements, and debility. They strive to promote the

LifeHOUSE Staff

health that you have worked hard to gain. Their community boasts features like a beauty and barber shop, an arts and crafts activity room, cozy lounges, and they even provide live entertainment.

LifeHOUSE Skilled Nursing Care provides residents and patients a sense of dignity and a place where they can live in safety. If you find yourself in need of care for a loved one, LifeHOUSE may be exactly what you are looking for.

Bakersfield - 730 34th Street • 661-327-7687 • Parkview - 329 N. Real Road • 661-327-7107 70 Bakersfield Magazine

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Atul Aggarwal, MD Cardiology Clinic

Cardiovascular Disease and Internal Medicine

Zeina Moreland, PT, DPT

Bakersfield Physical Therapy • Provides private and personalized attention • Offers extended hours: early morning and evening • Accepts patients of all ages, including infants • Treats patients with back and joint pain, TMJ syndrome, sports injuries, torticollis, vestibular and balance problems, and postsurgical status • Accepts most PPO, Medicare, and Kern Family insurance plans

(661) 616-0888 | www.bakersfieldpt.com 1400 Easton Dr. Suite 131, Bakersfield 93309

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Interim Healthcare

Dr. Thomas D Nelson (661) 322-2895

Making a Difference in Our Community

Interim Healthcare prides itself as being a unique service to our community. What started as a traditional home care business 20 years ago became an organization specializing in a variety of health-related services.

Darlyn Baker, RN, along with her husband, Chuck, and son, Bryon, are visionaries for those in need. Expansion, since 1994, includes programs on wellness, specialized medication administration, paraprofessional vocational health, and immunizations. Realizing a need for nursing services for the medically fragile, the Baker family founded a special needs daycare, Darlyn’s Darlings, in 2003, then merged it when they acquired Caring Corner in 2008, the same year their service expanded to Fresno with the opening of Loretta’s Little Miracles. And in 2007, the Bakers created Bakersfield Senior Placement. If you need help caring for a loved one, this is the family to call.

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www.mybakersfieldhealthcare.com

Se Habla Espanol

1701 27th Street | Bakersfield, CA 93301 Office Hours by Appointment

MEDICAL PROFILES

For one and a half years, Atul Aggarwal MD Cardiology Clinic has been bringing the best in heart care to Bakersfield. A resident of Bakersfield for 5 years, and with 10 years of clinical experience, Dr. Aggarwal is deeply committed to the health and well-being of his patients.

Stress testing, same-day consultations, cutting-edge heart rhythm monitors, outpatient treatment options for vericose veins, and full spectrum of non invasive cardiac and vascular imaging: very little falls outside of their scope of care.

Dr. Aggarwal is also on-call for local hospitals’ emergency rooms to help aid with heart attack patients. “We aim to open up a clogged artery expeditiously and safely within minutes of being called to the emergency room,” he said. He and his staff are here to help, standing by their motto, “If you don’t open your heart with love, we will do it for you.”

The Women’s Care Center Armi Lynn Walker, M.D. Cary Shakespeare, M.D.

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2021 22nd St., Bakersfield, CA 93301 www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 71

72 Bakersfield Magazine

By Mike Stepanovich

Once Upon a Time... ordering a hamburger was simple, straightforward, uncomplicated. Regardless of where you ordered it, you pretty much got the same thing: a cooked ground beef patty on a bun with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. The biggest thing you had to decide was mustard, ketchup, and/or mayonnaise.

Oh, yeah: whether to hold the onions. It was a simple sandwich.

Today’s hamburgers are so much more creative. Restaurants today offer a myriad of options including fried eggs, various aiolis, varieties of greens, different cheeses, seasonings, condiments. Yesterday’s simple hamburger is today’s gourmet dining experience. Yes, ordering a hamburger is now in vogue.

And when it comes to burger bragging rights, Bakersfield takes a backseat to no one. It’s had and continues to have great burger places. We have the classic burger joints and we have the trendy places. Plus virtually every high-end local restaurant has a burger on its menu.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 73

~T he Classics~

THESE great burger places have been around a long time and have essentially perfected the meaty marvel that is a great hamburger. For my money, they’re in a class by themselves. They’re all champions.

Regardless of how trendy burgers have become there’s still something special about a place that specializes in burgers. A burger place isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a cool place with the key ingredient that’s missing in virtually every burger chain in existence: atmosphere.

There’s a comfort factor to a good burger joint. It’s relaxed, casual. It’s a place where you and the staff are acquainted, where the patrons recognize you, where you can leave your troubles at the door, pick ‘em up on the way out. It’s a place that reflects what I like best about burgers—the camaraderie that comes from having a burger with a buddy, the hominess of a cozy café, the good cheer of a spunky waitress.

The best places in Bakersfield certainly have that.

They also have quality, the same ingredient in any good restaurant.

I’m particular about what makes a good burger. I like attention to detail.

I like toasted buns, a sign the maker is putting some thought and effort into what is essentially a simple food. I like a good quality bread for the bun.

I prefer leaf lettuce to chopped. I want sliced, ripe tomatoes; and I like burgers with sufficient condiments to make the whole thing moist. I do not like dry burgers.

And when it comes to condiments, it’s mustard on the meat side, mayo on the veggie side.

Thousand Island dressing is OK, too.

When all is said and done, I like a burger with a myriad of flavors that blend together so all that’s left to do is mmmmmm and ahhhhh.

When I order fries with my burger, I like a place that takes the trouble to make good fries from fresh potatoes.

That’s the sign of a place that cares about the quality of its food.

Enough said! Here are Bakersfield’s best burgers!

74 Bakersfield Magazine

Lie-N-Den

215 NILES PL. Classic burgers. Great atmosphere.

Everything you want in a great burger joint. Owners Bob Bryant and Kathy Baehr know that the mustard goes on the meat side with the mayo complementing the lettuce and tomatoes. The BACON ORTEGA CHEESEBURGER is as good as the late John Somers used to make it.

Maybe better.

Happy Jack’s Hamburger and Pie Shop

1800 20TH ST. A Bakersfield tradition. Happy Jack’s serves only one kind of burger – A GOOD ONE. It has a special sauce (like Thousand Island), lettuce, and onion slice. The burgers are made fresh in front of you, and the meat’s not overcooked. Be sure and save room for pie, which is difficult because the burger is big, seven or eight ounces.

Ethel’s Old Corral

4310 ALFRED HARRELL HWY. A classic place that offers a great burger and excellent fries. It’s still known to

Zingo’s Café

long-time residents as “Ethel’s,” although Ethel is no longer with us. I especially like the DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER at the Old Corral. The French burger is also excellent.

Burger Hut

1112 19TH ST. A classic burger joint. It’s aptly named because it really is a hut. A sign inside by the cash register says, “THIS ISN’T BURGER KING, YOU DO IT MY WAY.” Well, the Hut’s way is plenty good enough.

The burgers come with a bun toasted on the griddle, a thick patty, chopped lettuce, tomato, and a red onion slice.

Andre’s Drive-in

1419 BRUNDAGE LN. Longtime locals swear by Andre’s. A classic old-time drive-in with plenty of burgers to choose from. The FRENCH BURGER is an Andre’s specialty. This is a place where people order their burgers, then eat them in their cars. Or you can sit at an outdoor table or bench under some big old trees.

J&M’s Rosedale Café 10801 ROSEDALE HWY. The little things add up at this Rosedale fixture. The seven ounce

Burger Hut

patty is hand-patted and juicy, not overcooked. The sesame seed buns are toasted on the griddle. Good bacon, if you choose the BACON CHEESEBURGER. You have a choice of condiments—mustard, mayo, ketchup, and Thousand Island.

The Knotty Pine Café

1530 NORRIS RD. A wide selection of burgers is available at the Pine. ALL THE BURGERS ARE NAMED FOR ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES. You apply your own condiments. Service and staff are great.

John’s Burgers

3019 F ST. 3835 MING AVE. The DELUXE CHEESEBURGER is excellent at this local favorite. You have a variety of burgers to choose from. Leaf lettuce, not chopped. Always a good choice.

Zingo’s Café

3201 BUCK OWENS BLVD. Several choices are available, including a CHICKEN FRIED STEAK BURGER. You build the burger yourself from the parts provided: sesame seed bun, sliced tomato, iceberg lettuce leaves, red onion slice, and dills. Let’s be trendy and call it deconstructed.

A good burger joint is a place where you and the staff are acquainted, where the patrons recognize you, where you can leave your troubles at the door, pick ‘em up on the way out.

Bakersfield has enjoyed an influx of burger specialists the past few years that have elevated the local burger scene to a gourmet dining experience. The new restaurants also offer a dining experience as diverse as their menus.

I have managed, though I must say it was an extremely difficult assignment, to choose co-champions for the title of Bakersfield’s best burger. But the choice was most difficult because of the differences in the restaurants, themselves. Each has something that makes not only the burgers but the restaurants attractive, as well. And quality is high.

So like the Rose Parade, I decided to give awards for different categories: creativity, tradition, over-the-top, and unexpected. The great news for you is that all these places have great burgers! So enjoy!

~Most Creative Burger~

Juicy Burger

1201 24TH ST., 9530 HAGEMAN RD. You come to Juicy Burger for one reason: the burgers. The restaurant doesn’t have salads, breakfasts, or any of the other things you might find at the chain burger places.

Burgers, fries, onion rings, shakes, and sodas—that’s it.

And there’s no such thing as the standard JUICY BURGER. You build your burger yourself. Each burger is customized; you start from scratch and build it exactly the way you want.

You start with an order sheet and check the box next to each item you want. Start with your meat, then choose a bun, your toppings are next, your condiments—those are your basics. For a small additional charge you get your choice of American, Swiss, pepper jack, or cheddar cheese, grilled pineapple, Ortega chili, mushrooms, guacamole, a fried egg, and chili. And yes, the burgers are juicy. >> www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 75

~ Most “Over-the-Top”~ Muertos History of the Burger It’s no easy task finding Bakersfield’s best burgers. Since hamburgers are the nation’s most popular sandwich, Bakersfield has scores of places selling burgers. Hamburgers account for 40 percent of all the sandwiches consumed in the United States, according to the website Answers.com. And according to Ask.com, Americans eat about 14 billion burgers a year.

Of the top 100 food chains in the United States, a survey by Nation’s Restaurant News reports, 15 are burger places. McDonald’s is the largest restaurant chain in America, followed by Burger King at No. 4 and Wendy’s at No. 5. Sonic is No. 12, and Jack In The Box is No. 17. California darling In-N-Out Burger is No. 67, not bad considering it’s only in California and four other Western states. And many of the other chains listed, such as Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Denny’s, feature hamburgers prominently on their menus.

Is it any wonder, then, that so many restaurants, from high-end to low-end, have burgers on their menus?

As impressive as these statistics are, when I last searched for Bakersfield’s best burgers, back in 2006, 60 percent of all sandwiches consumed nationally were burgers, meaning Americans’ dining habits have changed significantly in the past eight years, reflecting, no doubt, a shift to healthier foods.

The hamburger’s origin is a bit hazy, but from different sources (About.com and Wikipedia) I’ve pieced together what seems to be a fairly accurate tale. The name “hamburger” stems from the German port of Hamburg, which was an important trading center in the Middle Ages. One theory has it that Arab merchants brought a concoction of ground lamb and spices that Hamburg residents adopted, using ground beef or pork instead of lamb. Another source claims the source of the ground beef was from continued on pg. 78 >>

76 Bakersfield Magazine

Muertos 1514 WALL ST. ALLEY

First, let’s talk about the venue. It’s in an old brick building that a century or so ago housed a Bakersfield fire station and barn where the horse-drawn fire wagons and horses were maintained. It’s been retrofitted for earthquakes, but if you love history this is a great place to visit.

It’s also the site of the former Suds Tavern, across the alley from The Alley Cat bar. The interior gives you the sense of being in a living museum, which in essence, you are.

But innovative is the word here when

it comes to burgers. You can get the ANGELO, described as a classic cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and mayonnaise. But that’s not why Muertos wins the Most Over-the-Top award. That would be for the FERNANDO. The Fernando will light you up! I love spicy food, but this one is really spicy!

Let’s start with the half-pound patty, standard on all Muertos’ burgers. Then add crushed red peppers, pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayonnaise, and topped with jalapeños. Bring on the ice water!

~Most Unexpected~

Brimstone

at The Padre Hotel

1702 18TH ST. While I believe that any place worth its salt has a good burger, I was delighted to find how good Brimstone’s was. It’s certainly among the best in town. What I didn’t expect to find was the two types of burgers available: THE PADRE BURGER -with lettuce, tomato, a dill spear, onions, and your choice of cheeses: American, cheddar, Swiss, or provolone.

THE BISON BURGER -with cumin mayonnaise, California chili, grilled red onion, and cheddar cheese.

On a recent visit I opted for The Padre Burger. OK, you ask, if the

Bison Burger, a rarity to be sure on any menu, was unexpected, why did you choose the beef? Because I also didn’t expect to be hooked by this fabulous burger!

The bun for either burger is a delicious bakery bun, lightly brushed with butter on the top. The patty is cooked to order (I prefer medium), juicy and flavorful. The burger comes with a light application of mayonnaise, and additional condiments are available upon request (I asked for extra mayo and mustard).

Once you take a bite it’s difficult to put the burger down; one bite leads to another and the next thing you know you’ve almost forgotten that it came with a side dish.

Yes, it’s that good.

MOO CREAMERY PHOTOS BY ERIC JAMES

~Bakersfield’s Best~

Moo Creamery

4885 TRUXTUN AVE. This place is so good we should count ourselves lucky to have it in Bakersfield. It’s owned by the husband-andwife team Richard and Jessica Yoshimura.They opened their restaurant in December 2008, believing that a restaurant whose focus was fresh, imaginative, and flavorful would find a niche in Bakersfield. Their faith has been rewarded.

The décor is a 1950s soda-fountain style. Shiny steel chairs, checkerboard décor. It’s a step back in time.

The step forward is the burgers—contemporary, imaginative. Check out the SPANISH CHORIZO BURGER (on front cover). It’s a burger to savor. The beautifully browned brioche bun is baked on the premises, as are all baked goods at Moo. The medium-rare beef patty is a half-pound at least.

It’s topped with manchego cheese, slices of Spanish chorizo sausage, date spread, pepper relish, and caramelized onions.

It is unlike any burger I’ve ever had, and it’s delicious.

Don’t even think of adding other condiments; this burger is perfect as it is, with the sweetness of the dates, peppers, and onions—a perfect complement to the manchego and the meat. It tastes so good, you don’t want to get to the end.

The Spanish Chorizo Burger is not only Jessica’s invention but also her favorite burger on the menu. It used to be mine, too, until Richard convinced me to try the 24-HOUR BURGER, a concoction available, as its name implies, any time Moo is open, which is for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The 24-Hour Burger has sharp cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions, arugula,

Moo Creamery

Don’t agree with our picks?

Email us at comments@ bakersfieldmagazine.net or comment on Facebook with your favorites. #BestBurgerBako

BURGER GAL PHOTO BY SCHAFFERT/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

Brimstone

Moo sauce, and a fried egg. On your first bite, the sunnyside-up egg yolk breaks, drizzling all over the burger.

It’s delicious!

There’s also the Atomic Bacon Cheddar Burger. This hottie comes with roasted jalapeños, habanero ketchup, and chipotle mayonnaise. It’s not as fiery as Muertos’ Fernando, but it will get your attention.

The fries and onion rings are fabulous, and be sure and save room for some ice cream, made on the premesis with organic cream from a Marin County dairy.

I love Bacon Love. That’s right, bacon ice cream. It will get you in the moo-d. >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 77

~T he Chains~

continued from pg. 76 Russian Tartars who traded in Hamburg and brought raw chopped beef, hence the name steak tartar.

Whatever the source, the ground beef, which was served in a bread roll, became popular throughout Germany, and was known as a Hamburg steak or Hamburger.

German immigrants to the United States in the 19th century brought the tradition with them. In fact two towns claim to be the birthplace of the modern hamburger: Seymour, Wisc., and Hamburg, N.Y. Both towns claim 1885 as the modern hamburger’s birthdate.

The general public likely first became acquainted with hamburgers at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, where a sandwich consisting of cooked ground beef on a hard roll was served.

In 1921 White Castle began mass distribution of the hamburger. White Castle is still around. I had occasion to try White Castle burgers a few years back when I was in the Midwest. These things are tiny! They’re served on a small dinner roll. In fact there’s more bread than burger. They don’t sell just one of them. The order board lists them in various multiples (four is the average order). I saw people come in and order these pitiful things by the sackfull.

In 1924, the first “cheese hamburger,” or simply the cheeseburger, is said to have been invented in Pasadena.

In the late 1930s, Bob’s Big Boy introduced the first double-patty burger.

Also about that time the first drive-in hamburger establishments appeared.

And when Ray Kroc bought the McDonald brothers’ hot-dog stand in 1954 and began selling hamburgers, he revolutionized the hamburger industry, so that today hamburgers are sold all over the world, known simply as burgers.

I remember McDonald’s and Burger Chef sold hamburgers for 15 cents when I was growing up, and on Tuesdays, Burger Chef sold them for a dime.

Burger Chef went belly-up in 1996.

78 Bakersfield Magazine

If we’re talking about Bakersfield’s best hamburgers, we can’t ignore the chains. The burger chains, of course, are a huge part of the American restaurant scene, and they in fact have good burgers. They wouldn’t be as successful as they are if they didn’t.

Here are my choices for best chain burgers in Bakersfield:

Eureka!

10520 STOCKDALE HWY. This place has it all: great food, great atmosphere, great service. While it’s a small California chain, its focus is on doing business locally. By that I mean using local ingredients whenever possible.

During a recent visit, we had a delightful server, Taylor Nousch, a recent CSU Bakersfield graduate who is already attending graduate school. She said the vegetables used are natural and wherever possible organic. Fruit for drinks is local citrus that is hand-squeezed at the restaurant. The meat is from free-range beef with no growth hormones or antibiotics ever fed to the cattle.

The potatoes for the fries are fresh and hand-cut on site. And if you want innovative, try the Havarti cheese and truffle oil sauce drizzled on your fries.

Magnificent!

The burgers? Well, they’re spectacular.

There’s classic, of course, the ORIGINAL EUREKA! It comes with iceberg lettuce, pickles, red onions, tomatoes, and “special sauce” that appears to be Thousand Island dressing.

A team of us went into Eureka! to tackle the burger menu. I was able to sample bites of our five orders: the original, the NAPA BURGER, JALAPEÑO EGG BURGER, FRESNO FIG BURGER, and the TORTILLA BURGER. The Jalapeño Egg had a sunnyside up egg, bacon, and jalapeño with a chipotle sauce. It wasn’t too spicy and had good flavors. My Tortilla Burger was different: the patty and fixings—tomato, red onion, pickled jalapeño, guacamole, cilantro, and jack cheese—were wrapped in a flour tortilla, that was then grilled.

Great flavors.

The two favorites of the night were the Fresno Fig Burger and the Napa Burger.

With homemade fig marmalade, goat cheese, bacon, tomato, red onion, and porter mustard, the Fresno Fig Burger

had a sweetness that paired with the other toppings for a delicious burger.

I also loved the Napa Burger, which had oven-roasted Roma tomatoes, pesto aioli, Havarti cheese, pancetta, and arugula. Wow! What great taste!

Eureka! It’s a great place!

Red Robin

Gourmet Burgers

2701 MING AVE. I like Red Robin, though I wish it were located elsewhere. And my favorite has been the guacamole bacon burger.

I also like that they offer a choice of buns—onion bun or sesame seed crusted. If you like fries, this is the place for you: the “bottomless steak fries” just keep coming, as much as you want.

But I was blown away by what Red Robin calls “THE DGB”—Damn Good Burger. It comes on a ciabatta bun, and has oven-roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic aioli, fresh arugula tossed in a citrus-olive oil dressing? Are you kidding? What an incredible combination of flavors! This is the essence of creativity.

What I didn’t expect was that it came from a large chain. Red Robin was founded in Seattle, but is now headquartered in Denver. It also has another imaginative burger that I haven’t tried but will soon. It’s called SMOKE & PEPPER, is also on a ciabatta bun, and has black-pepper bacon, extra-sharp cheddar, and house-made smoke & pepper ketchup. It won the top award at the 2013 South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

Both Eureka! and Red Robin are dinein places. But if it’s fast you’re looking for, where you get a meal in minutes, my choice is…

In-N-Out Burger

5100 STOCKDALE HWY. 2310 PANAMA LN. Bakersfield is home to two outlets of this enormously popular chain. It focuses only on burgers and fries, and its signature burger is the DOUBLEDOUBLE in In-N-Out-speak. That’s a burger with two patties, two slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Thousand Island dressing. They’re plenty moist and taste great. The fries are also terrific, hand cut, and cooked on premises. If you’re looking for good burgers and fries, this is the place. v

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80 Bakersfield Magazine

G R E AT

G E TAWAY S

An antique locomotive slowly climbs up a hill as its steam sifts through the canopy of trees, rising higher and higher as it dissipates into the wilderness and the train continues its four-mile round trip path through Sierra National Forest. Sounds romantic, right?

Riding the Rails RIDING ON AN OLD TRAIN isn’t exactly on most people’s to-do lists, but maybe it’s time to reconsider that stance.

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad is different. Unlike other trains, the cars run on an actual restored railroad grade. And the locomotives are rare to begin with; less than six of these types are left in the world and Sugar Pine has two of them in operating condition. Which make a visit to this rustic locale the perfect day trip (it’s about two and a half hours north of Bakersfield off Hwy 41) for just about anyone in the family.

But before waxing on about the activities and fun to be had, here’s a little back story for the train buffs.

The two Sugar Pine steam locomotives are called shays. Shay #10 is 86 years old, weighing in at 84 tons while Shay #15

was built in 1913 and weighs 59 tons. The original Madera Sugar Pine Shay locomotives burned wood for fuel but, today, its two Westside Shay locomotives burn oil.

The train was used for logging back in the day, the timber and flumes carried the lumber to the town of Madera. So naturally, this is not a train built for speed, but it can make a 70 degree angle turn. The rustic shay locomotives operate the same speeds forward and backward—speeds of 15 miles per hour.

“The railroad travels on a historic right-of-way where the Madera Sugar Pine trains used to travel long ago,” Scott McGhee, general manager for the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, said. “It is a living piece of history where you can be transported back in time.”

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

By Kimberly Horg • Photos by Gene Day

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad opened to the public in 1965. Guests from all over the world have flocked to this this neck of the woods to get a glimpse of the old train and take a ride.

And even friendly dogs ride for free.

McGhee says it’s the type of activity that attracts the young and the young at heart equally.

“We have been a part of the gateway community for forty-nine years,” he said, adding that the experience of riding on this old train is one-of-a-kind.

Why? As passengers travel along the historic Madera Sugar Pine Railroad, where lumberjacks chopped giant Sequoias telling stories of Paul Bunyan, the conductor will

>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 81

Great Getaways tell his own tales of the history of the trees that line the track, the train line, and the native wildlife. One can pick up bits of information ranging from medicinal purposes of the plant life to how lumber was transported by flutes back in the day.

The train chugs along as riders cheer for engine number 10, thinking, “I think I can, I think I can.”

Sugar Pine operates its steam train daily from April through the end of September with more departures during the summer months. It also offers guests a chance to ride on a Moonlight Special in the summer, running every Wednesday and Saturday night through the end of August.

But taking a ride on this locomotive can truly be a family oriented event, starting with a good old-fashioned BBQ. Passengers get a choice of New York Steak, chicken, or a vegetarian substitution and a corn salad, ranch-style beans, sourdough dinner roll. as well as a dessert. Complimentary juice, coffee, hot chocolate, and water is offered (plus, there is a bar with sodas, beer, and wine for an additional cost).

With a full belly, passengers mosey onto the train to start an adventurous evening

Enjoy a good old-fashioned BBQ and a chilled glass of wine.

ending up at Lewis Creek Canyon where, get ready, there’s a sing-a-long! Singing by the fire light, kids cozy up in front to learn songs of yesteryear sung in tune (and sometimes intentionally out) by the crowd and Sugar Pine performers. Then the evening comes to an end with a memorable moonlit ride back through the quiet darkness of the forest.

The only sound is of the great steam engine powering its way back up the mountain. A jacket is all one needs; Mother Nature provides the setting as the steam lets out a roar as it turns the corner and blows the built up air out of the side of the train into the night of the forested path. The en-

tire ride lasts approximately three hours.

For those who like theatrics, two Melodrama trains run on July 20 and August 10.

These replace the campfire with a live theatre performance.

The ride also has its very own prospector who will show you how to pan for gold. And “finders’ keepers” is how they do it up here!

You get to keep the gold you panned.

Located back at “the station,” the Thornberry Museum offers visitors a chance to witness logging camp life at the turn of the century. At the station, there are cold drinks, sandwiches, hot dogs, snacks, and a gift shop with various novelty train items, t-shirts, as well as toys for the young and old. The bookstore stocks a collection of historical titles and railroad literature for those seeking more information about the iconic area.

“It is a great time to be aboard a historic steam train…if you love history, trains, or being out in the forest, it’s a wonderful way to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world,” McGhee said.

The Sugar Pine is a private, family-run business operating on a special use permit.

Ticket sales, souvenirs, and food concessions keep the trains running every season.

It’s “finders keepers” when you pan for gold along the way.

82 Bakersfield Magazine

The train schedule starts early in the morning, so be sure to get to the station around 9 a.m. to secure tickets to the first train of the day at 11.

Although it has a large capacity on the train, it is recommended that guests arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure. For Moonlight Special dinner trains, reservations are required because it is a popular event. Some dates book up quickly, so it is best to reserve a spot three to four weeks in advance.

To find out more about the trains, get directions, or to make reservations, visit yosemitesteamtrains.com or call the office at (559) 683-7273. All aboard! v

GARDENING WITH MRS. P

Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes sees what is obvious. A recent houseguest of mine said, “Did you know that you have a lot of over-the-door shoe organizers? I never knew you had so many shoes.” By way of justification, I replied, “It’s a collection, like stamps.”

GARDEN SMARTIES

NEW IDEAS FOR GROWING

PLANT PHOTOS BY JACKF/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK, BEE PHOTOS BY ROBERT ENGELHARDT

By Lynn Pitts “Well,” my friend continued, “Most ‘collections’ need a curator, or they turn into a hoard. Do you even wear these shoes anymore?” That brought me up short. After a couple of recent foot surgeries, Mrs. P’s days of tripping lightly in her three-inchers are over. Time to purge. Wow, it felt liberating. A regular Fourth of July, only it’ll be for my tootsies. Now I was left with empty shoe organizers and a basic urge to fill them.

Hold that thought while I sidetrack into a discussion of these past few years’ biggest New Thing in gardening, Living Walls.

Vertical garden planting is the best thing to happen to outside bare walls, fences, and doors. Whether planted with colorful annuals, succulents, foliage plants, or perennials, these planters are being used extensively all over the world. I’ve personally seen huge living walls at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers and on a large wall at a Portland hotel. Some can be stylishly framed, as in a piece of art. Some have self-watering systems and others even come with 110v plug-in timers for effortless watering. More plant centers are stocking these systems, but here are three online suppliers, each offering their own unique living wall planters for sale: kinsmangarden.com, uzplanters.com, and florafelt.com. While visiting the Florafelt website, I noticed that they advised using root wrappers or liners to allow one to easily change or adjust a vertical garden arrangement.

These wrappers enclose a plant using a clever

POLLINATION STATION

WHO KNEW? Tiny little mason bees are fantastic garden pollinators.

HANGING GARDENS SHOE ORGANIZERS AS VERTICAL GARDENS? ABSOLUTELY!

twist on the old classic diaper fold, starting with a diamond shape. Now this is where Mrs. P’s light bulb moment happens in our story.

Hello! Why not repurpose the over-the-door shoe organizers into a DIY vertical garden! Hello, indeed, and why not cut up old sweaters and leftover scraps of weed cloth to diaper up plants to fill the empty shoe pockets! I hung a couple over the fence near my kitchen door. After wrapping up a several dozen herb plants, I tucked them in, kangaroostyle to grow into an el cheapo vertical garden. Because I’m always experimenting with different herbs to try in Asian recipes, Banh Xeo (sizzling cake) being one, I’m excited to have them handy to snip the leaves. I’ve planted Asian basils, yin choy (Amaranth), and Taiwan sword leaf, a heat-resistant lettuce. These herbs will fill my rice flour “happy pancakes.”

A good source for Asian vegetable seeds is up north in Oakland. It’s called Kitazawa Seed Company. Their website is: kitazawaseed.com. Their catalog has great recipes to try.

Oh, I almost forgot to share another of my latest ventures: Raising mason bees! Not being especially >> www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 83

Gardening with Mrs. P “Sour enough to set a squirrel’s teeth on edge and make a jay scream.”

Early Americans made cider from crabapples, fermenting them with sweeter apples.

The beauty of crabapple trees in our home gardens is that they stay small (under 20 feet with dwarfs even shorter), are low-maintenance and provide landscape interest for three or four seasons. They’re showy spring bloomers, foliage plants in summer and fall, plus there’s all that easy to pick fruit in late summer. One of their greatest qualities is their adaptability to grow in containers.

This reminds me of something we gardeners tend to forget when planting fruit trees. They are not adaptable as

Size does matter.

An apple tree with fruit that’s two inches or more in diameter is considered an apple. An apple tree fruit smaller than two inches is considered a “crab.”

lawn trees. “Weed and feed” products and weed whackers will kill them. Mrs. P lost two apricot trees due to her ignoring this fact. Happily, you can grow absolutely any fruit tree in a pot. Choose a pot that is wider at the top than the bottom. Why? You are going to have to get the tree out at some time in the next 5 years to repot and clip the roots. Get the best potting mix you can afford. Next buy a brick of “coco peat.” Crumble it up and mix with the potting mix. This will help the pots hold moisture longer, always important in Bakersfield. Place your pots in full sun in a place where you can admire these little charmers.

It’s good to plant several varieties to assure cross pollination. The mason bees will do the rest of the work. In no time you’ll be harvesting enough crabapples to make Spiced Crabapples. They’re beyond delicious and a wonderful addition to any meal featuring pork, lamb, poultry, or beef. In other words, Spiced Crabapples go with almost anything!

species, native to Europe and Asia, were brought here as seeds or cuttings by colonists. To a crabby few, it’s still a matter of unscientific argument that apples and crabapples are the same. But, au contraire, size does matter. An apple tree with fruit that’s two inches or more in diameter is considered an apple. An apple tree fruit smaller than two inches is considered a crab. That’s it. Who else would tell you these things? All crabapple fruits are technically edible, though as their name suggests, most are bitter tasting.

Perhaps the best description of that special “crabbed” flavor comes from Henry David Thoreau’s essay, “Wild Apple.”

84 Bakersfield Magazine

PHOTO BY BRUCE MARTIN

satisfied with the meagerness of last year’s fruit crop, I decided to help the pollination process along more efficiently.

Yes, you’re thinking, Mrs. P is sure late to the party; EVERYONE knows about mason bees. Ok, Mrs. P has been reticent about raising mason bees because she is deathly allergic to bee stings. However, a short class last spring on the proper use of these gentle, non-aggressive little workers in the garden disabused me of my concerns. Evidently, so the buzz goes, mason bees will accelerate pollination and give more fruit production in the home garden. This sounded like a plan and I started my colony off in a mason bee block, complete with a red tin roof.

It’s all too cute and I await bumper crops of crabapples from the trees planted early last spring.

Bet you didn’t know you could grow crabapples in Bakersfield, did you? You certainly can. Known also as crab trees, wild apples, and schoolboy apples, crabapples belong to the rose family, Rosaceae. They share the same genus, Malus, as regular apples. All apples, including crabapples, originated in the mountains of Kazakhstan. No one knows precisely how, but at least three crabapple species are native to North America. Most of our other crabapple

CRABAPPLES

Spiced Crabapples 3 to 4 lbs. Crabapples 3 cups sugar 1 ¼ cups vinegar 2 cinnamon sticks (3-inch) and 1 tsp. whole cloves tied in a spice bag Choose round crabapples, uniform in size. Remove blossom petals, but leave short stems attached. Wash well and drain. Do not peel. Pierce the skin with a large sterilized needle. This prevents bursting.

Mix water, sugar, and vinegar. Add spice bag. Boil until thickened, roughly 10 minutes. Add crabapples and reheat slowly. Simmer until apples are tender. Pack into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Fill jars ½ inch from the top with hot syrup, making sure apples are completely covered. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with clean dampened paper towel. Seal with twopiece metal lids. Process in water bath for 20 minutes.

Or, if you’re not comfortable in the canning/preserving department, pack the cooked apples and syrup into plastic containers and freeze.

Well, fellow gardeners, this about sums up my summer so far. Gardening vertically, tending my new BFFs, the mason bees, and growing crabapples.

Then there’s been my foray into Asian cooking and canning season coming up.

These have certainly been all nice distractions, but will they keep Mrs. P away from the latest shoe sales? Only time and her podiatrist will tell. v Lynn Pitts, better known as Mrs. P., is a native Californian, master gardener in four counties including Kern, a garden writer, and professional botanical artist. She has been featured on The Art of Gardening, on PBS, and has conducted flower workshops throughout California for botanical gardens and arboretums.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

HOME & GARDEN

Remodeling is fun, but...

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Standing in a room and visualizing its potential is a fun thing to do and transforming a space to that new vision is a very rewarding and uplifting experience.

By Ghina Itani

owever, unless you are well prepared for what is to come, you will be jeopardizing the design, budget, and schedule. Whether you are doing the work yourself or hiring a professional company, remodeling is a process, and it shouldn’t be rushed.

Though it will be impossible to cover all the challenges of remodeling in one page, the following list can be used as a general guide.

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n PURPOSE OF THE REMODEL: why are you remodeling?

While it sounds very simple and easy to answer, establishing the purpose is the starting point of any remodel.

Will you be selling your house in the next year? Five or ten years? Is a senior family member moving in with you and are you meeting their mobility needs?

Or do you simply need an updated look because you are bored with the existing space? Understanding the purpose of the remodel will help map out the design concept, the timeline, and the bud-

get, all of which are the core elements for a successful remodel. n THE FINAL LOOK: what is your design concept?

Now that you have determined the purpose of your remodel, what is the style that you are going for, what are the design elements that should be kept, and what are the ones that should

be added or replaced? One common approach that I have seen people take is that they implement construction as they go without a direction or a specific design that they are following, so they end up with nice counters, nice backsplash, nice floors etc., but these finishes do not go well together. Merging existing elements with new ones take a lot of thought and planning. Even if you were only doing your kitchen this year, and the rest of the house in a couple of years, having a design plan for the whole area ahead of time is key to a clean and continuous look. n BUDGET:how much will it cost?

Everyone has a budget that they would like to stay within, but it will

Continued on page 87 >>

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 85

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HOME & GARDEN Continued from page 85

RESOURCES

be hard to determine the cost of your remodel without going through Steps 1 and 2. Once you have a design plan, you will be able to set your budget to fit your vision. Questions that will help with this step would be: How can we achieve the desired outcome at this budget? What can we keep from the design that will maintain its integrity, and what can we change that will not affect the desired look? n TIME: when is the best time to remodel?

The right timing will make a difference in the flow of the construction. If you have young children and cannot go without a

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Now that you have figured the design, approved the budget, and scheduled it, it is now time to implement. Order all of the materials prior to starting. Some items could take over twelve weeks to arrive, so you do not want to demolish the bathroom then wait weeks for the tub to arrive. Good project management that includes regular meetings with all parties involved will ensure that all trades are coordinated according to the scope of work, and that the parties adhere to the time and budget. Missing this step will slow down the project and throw off your schedule. >>

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n CHANGE OF PLANS: what do we do now?

Changes will occur and unplanned events arise during any construction. How we respond to them will affect how smoothly the project will continue. It is impossible to be sure what is behind the walls until demolition day, and some decisions will affect your design, budget, and schedule. It is imperative to be open to other design solutions as well as keeping a contingency budget set aside for these unplanned expenses. When faced with this situation, check what choices you have and how much cost and time delay it will incur. Make sure that any decisions you make will not deviate from the final design. n PATIENCE: I thought this was going to be fun; why am I feeling the blues?

It is not easy going through a remodel, especially while living in the house. Having your belongings out of place and construction workers in and out of your house will strip you from having any privacy or any sense of control. This is when most people tend to lose patience and that has a direct effect on the project outcome. If you know your remodel will take a long time, organize your life accordingly and move into other areas of your home where it will be easy to find items that you need on a daily basis or a place where you can get some privacy in the midst of all the chaos.

Every project is unique and will bring its own challenges.

There is no list that will cover every situation; however, flexibility, great communications, and teamwork are instrumental to keeping your project moving as planned.

Happy remodeling! n

Ghina Itani, AAHID, ASID, EDAC Ghina completed the interior design program in Mount Royal University in Alberta, Canada. Ghina is a nationally certified healthcare interior designer, a member of the American Society of Interior Designers and is a licensed California State General Contractor. Ghina founded Itani Design Concepts in 2007 which offers complete design and remodeling services. IDC’s latest projects include The AIS Cancer Center, Accelerated Urgent Care, Quest Imaging and several residential remodels. Design@itaniDC.com

Let’s Eat

Whether you’re a culinary virtuoso or a beginning

cook, we’re here to do all the prep work for you when it comes to your weekly menu.

Packed with savory recipes from local chefs, reviews of the best Bakersfield restaurants, and tips on how to throw your own festive dinner parties, not to mention our extensive Dining Guide, our always-growing, alwaysfabulous Food Section will fill you up with ideas before you fill up on scrumptious food.

So when you’re ready to explore a world of new flavors, just scroll through these pages

ISTOC K/ TH

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for a little inspiration.

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 89

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90 Bakersfield Magazine

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Entertaining the Bakersfield Way

Tastes of Summer

I

Grilled Sirloin Steaks

Story and photos by Yana Todorova

t’s summertime, which means that it’s time to invite our family and friends to a backyard barbecue and enjoy the pleasant surprises of this season. With such a great selection of meat cuts to choose from locally, you can always find something that is both delicious and healthy to grill up. Make your next backyard barbecue even more exciting by serving tasty side dishes and refreshing desserts. Here are my ideas for hosting an easy, fun, summer soiree: make an all-American potato salad well ahead of time, but give it your own twist; serve a side of herb couscous mixed with some succulent nuts and dried fruit; quickly marinate sirloin steaks and grill them until sizzling; and, finally, surprise your loved ones with a “pick-me-up” dessert that is the perfect ending to an unforgettable summer barbecue!

Potato salad is such a versatile summer dish. It is perfect for a romantic picnic or a family backyard barbecue. Moreover, you can certainly double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd! If you would like, make it up to two days ahead and store in refrigerator. This way, you will have your side dish ready when your meat is done (and the flavors will really meld together). But let’s not forget that this hearty, colorful potato salad is very satisfying on its own and it can be offered to vegetarians as well. It has tons of flavors from the sweet vegetables, lime juice, and mayonnaise.

Plus, the boiled eggs provide great protein, while the green olives and olive oil add some good fats to the table. It is going to become your barbecue must-do recipe!

Summertime Potato Salad (Serves 4 to 6) 4-5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled 2 hard-boiled eggs, diced • ½ cup frozen green peas, thawed ½ cup frozen sweet corn, thawed • 4 tbsp. mayonnaise 2 tsp. lime juice • 2 tsp. olive oil • Salt and pepper About 6 green olives, pitted (for garnish) Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place them in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring it to a boil over a medium-high heat. Then, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes into a colander. Place them in a large bowl filled with cold water and ice, to stop the cooking process and to cool them. In a large bowl, combine the cooked potatoes, eggs, peas, and corn. Then, add the dressing: mayonnaise, lime juice, olive oil, ½ tsp. salt, and pepper. Gently mix. Taste and add more

Summertime Potato Salad

Homemade Tiramisu

salt, if needed. Serve in a platter, at room temperature or chilled.

Garnish with green olives and enjoy!

Instead of preparing a classic rice pilaf, I like to surprise my family and guests with a more modern ingredient: couscous. It is made from tiny granules of durum wheat and it is popular in many >>

It’s summertime, which means that it’s time to invite our family and friends to a backyard barbecue and enjoy the pleasant surprises of this season! www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 91

Entertaining the Bakersfield Way

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cuisines, including Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. This couscous side dish can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature, whenever your guests are ready to enjoy it. I added different textures and flavors to make this pilaf a true party meal. Dried dates add a wonderfully fruity element to this quick pilaf that pairs well with grilled steak. The pistachios add crunchiness and great nutrition.

The fresh mint adds garden notes and it is also a reminder that summer is here!

Couscous Pilaf (Serves 4) 1 cup plain couscous • 10 dried dates, chopped 20 roasted, salted pistachios, chopped • Fresh mint, thinly sliced Olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper Bring 2 ½ cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in 1 tbsp. olive oil, ½ tsp. salt, and pepper. Add the couscous, stir once, cover, and remove from heat. Let it stay for 5 min. Uncover, fluff with a fork. Mix in the dried fruit, the nuts, and the fresh herbs. Add additional olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste.

Grilling sirloin steak is an easy way to transform meat. Since top sirloin is extra lean, make sure to not overcook it. For the best results, let the beef stand out at room temperature before cooking it. If you would like to try other lean cuts, here are my suggestions: 1) Tenderloin Steak: This is the most expensive and definitely the tenderest lean cut of beef. To impress your guests, prepare a spice rub, sprinkle on both sides of the meat, and cook it to rare or medium-rare.

2) Flank Steak: This cut of beef could be used for many purposes. After grilling it, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. In this way, the juices will redistribute and will not escape all over your cutting board. Next, use a sharp knife and cut the steak thinly across the grain to keep it tender.

3) New York Strip Steak: This steakhouse favorite needs little more than salt and pepper to amaze. For a little more embellishment, you can marinate the meat before grilling. Combine olive oil, crushed garlic, fresh herbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a large zip-lock plastic bag. Add your steaks and store the bag in the refrigerator for few hours or overnight.

Grilled Sirloin Steaks (Makes 4 small portions) 4 (6-oz.) top sirloin steaks, about ½ inch thick • 1 tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper • Fresh sage and rosemary (for garnish) Bring the steaks to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. Place the steaks in a medium bowl. Sprinkle both sides with ½ tsp. salt and pepper. Drizzle evenly with olive oil. Let them marinate for half an hour. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the steaks on the grill rack and cook for 2 min. on each side, or until desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle with more salt, if needed.

Serve them in a platter and garnish with fresh sage and rosemary.

The previous recipes were pretty simple, but at the same time great if you are going to have people over. For the big finale, before your guests leave, surprise them with homemade tiramisu, served in individual ramekins. It is not so complicated to prepare and the best part is that you can assemble it ahead of time and have it ready in the fridge. I use ricotta and cream cheese, instead of the more traditional mascarpone cheese. I think those are less expensive and easier to find in your grocery store. If you decorate with chocolate shavings or bark, this dessert becomes absolutely stunning to look at. And since it is served cold, it is pretty refreshing for your backyard barbecue!

These recipes are just the beginning! Dig in and remember, it’s your party, too, so enjoy your time in the sun with friends and family. LET’S EAT FOR MORE TASTY RECIPES, CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE! WWW.BAKERSFIELDMAGAZINE.NET/FOOD-A-WINE/RECIPES

Quick Bites

with Local Flavor

Summer Yummies

It’s the perfect time of year for your taste buds to take a little trip under the sea. Now, we’re not suggesting you go stick your tongue in the ocean…far from it! Instead, why not take a stab at preparing these delicious seafood empanadas created by chef

Seafood Empanadas (makes about 6)

Dough 4 cup Maseca flour 1 tbsp. chicken stock (consommé) 1 tbsp. California pepper powder 2 tbsp. melted margarine 1 cup water

Seafood Filling

12 shrimp (shelled, de-veined, cooked) 1 tbsp. Chipotle sauce 6 tbsp. Thousand Island dressing 1 tbsp. mayonnaise

Martin Valenzuela from El Portal Mexican Restaurant just for our readers? They’re the perfect summer meal—light but filling; simple but flavorful. And these little golden treats combine fresh shrimp and Mexican spices. We can’t wait for you to try them.

Mix all ingredients for dough in large bowl. Make sure everything is incorporated and the dough is smooth.

Prepare the filling. Dice up shrimp into small pieces and mix with mayo, dressing, and Chipotle sauce.

Roll the dough out onto a floured table until about 1/2-inch thick. Then cut into 5- to 6-inch circles (use a small saucer to measure the size of the cuts).

Place a large spoonful of shrimp mixture into middle of dough circles and fold one side to the other. Press the edges of the semi-circle down with a fork to keep everything inside while cooking.

Fill up a deep fry pan about halfway with olive oil.

Heat oil on medium high and place empanadas into the pan and let them cook (Chef’s tip: Make sure the oil completely covers the empanadas and that they aren’t crowded in the pan—this will result in uneven cooking). But stand by! These little guys only take about 3 to 4 minutes to be ready. Remove when the empanadas get a nice golden color to them. Place them on a paper towel-covered plate to cool until you plate them up with your favorite dipping sauce! LET’S EAT

Chef Martin Valenzuela EL PORTAL MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Seafood empanadas are the perfect summer meal—light fare, simple to make, and very flavorful. www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 93

Uricchio’s Trattoria

The Dining Guide

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.

Visit us on Facebook! www.uricchios-trattoria.com. 1400 17th St. Downtown.

(661) 326-8870

Sinaloa Mexican Restaurant

Serving traditional Mexican cuisine to Bakersfield residents since 1948. Perfectly situated downtown, just west of Central Park. Open Tue-Thu 11:15am-8pm, FriSat 11:15am-9pm, and Sunday 11:15am-8pm. Closed on Mondays. Sinaloa is located at 910 20th Street. (661) 327-5231

Brookside Riverlakes Market & Deli

We welcome you to come enjoy our signature salads, sandwiches, and burgers at your local Brookside Market & Deli. Stop by and try our homemade Fish & Chips with our savory clam chowder every Friday. We also BBQ our own Tri-Tip sandwiches daily! Brookside carries a wide variety of fine wines & market products you may need, including Smith’s Bakery goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth! In addition to our Brookside breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus, we also offer a catering menu that will help you celebrate any occasion with ease. Deli hours: Mon-Sat 5am-8pm, Sun 6:30am-4pm. 4700 Coffee Rd. Store: (661) 588-1338, Deli: (661) 588-2329

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-9pm 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

Valentien Restaurant and Wine Bar

French Cuisine Fused With California Freshness Seafood, Poultry, Beef, Exotic Game, and Vegetarian/Vegan Items. 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! Summer Hours: Dinner reservations Mon-Sat, 4:30pm-9:00pm. Lunch reservations Friday ONLY 11:30am-2:00pm. All major credit cards are accepted. Reservations recommended but not required. 3310 Truxtun Ave., Ste. 160, 93301 www.valentienrestaurant.com (661) 864-0397

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La Colonia Mexican Restaurant

When you’re craving some of the most delicious Mexican food in town, look no further than La Colonia. Serving up authentic breakfasts, lunches, and dinners to locals for years, there’s truly something satisfying on the menu for everyone, regardless of your preference. Come out and try some of the Burritos de La Colonia, delicious combination plates, or mariscos dishes and see why they have guests who dine there every single week. Pick up a gift card for a wonderful, unique present for the people you know who enjoy the best things in life! Available for dine-in and carry out. Banquet room available, seats 50. Open Mon-Thu 10:30am-8pm, Fri 10:30am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm, and Sun 8:30am-3pm. 1809 Potomac Ave. (661) 323-3855

Belvedere Room in the Padre Hotel

The Chefs at the Belvedere Room offer a distinctive experience that marries oldworld style with modern tastes. From ranch raised beef to seafood delicacies, each dish is thoughtfully prepared for your culinary delight. Explore our innovative wine list or allow us to find you the perfect pairing. Call or visit the website for reservations. Open for dinner nightly. 1702 18th Street. www.thepadrehotel.com (661) 427-4900

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

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The Dining Guide

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 Teriyaki Bowl at 3699 Ming Ave. (661) 832-6392

Cataldo’s Pizzeria Riverwalk

Fresh New York Style Pizza! Come experience the flavors of the traditional handtossed New York style pizza. Our pizzas and calzones are made to order in brick ovens from the freshest ingredients with homemade pizza sauces and doughs.

We use the best of natural cheeses, like mozzarella, feta, and parmesan. Try our pizza by the slice or as a whole pie. Slices are taken from our 30” pizza, and are prepared with our Italian-style marinara pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings of your choice. Lunch slices come with a free drink (Mon-Fri). We serve pastas, wings, fried chicken, and potato logs, salads, and dressings. Beer & wine available. Family-style dine in, carry out, or delivery. Open Sun-Thu from 11am-9pm and Fri-Sat 11am10pm. 13011 Stockdale Hwy. (& Allen Rd.) cataldospizza.com (661) 587-7888

The Dining Guide

Café Med

Café Med has been a Bakersfield tradition for over 20 years. Their diverse menu includes Mediterranean and American cuisine, along with an extensive wine list. Café Med offers daily family style dinners to go from 4-7pm, 7 days a week. Serves up to 5 people. Starting from $31.99. Call for more information. Café Med is open 11am to close 7 days a week. Visa, MC, AE, DC. Located at 4809 Stockdale Hwy., in the Stockdale Fashion Plaza. Like us on Facebook, or go to Cafemedrestaurant.com (661) 834-4433

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El Portal Mexican Restaurant

We invite you to enjoy both of our Mexican Grill and Cantinas, El Portal Ming and El Portal West. We offer a great selection of appetizers, soups & salads, seafood, and our specialties are chicken, steak, and shrimp fajitas. Happy Hour for Ming Ave. Mon-Fri 4-7pm (bar only) and at West location 3-7pm (bar only), lunch specials every day, 11am-2pm. Fabulous Sunday Brunch, 10am3pm, reservations accepted. Two locations to serve you. El Portal Mexican Restaurant located at 6641 Ming Ave. (661) 834-2629, and El Portal West, located at 1100 Calloway Dr. (661) 829-2737

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Fresh from the Farmers’ Market With all this warm weather, there is nothing quite as satisfying as some delicious, ice cold, freshly prepared juice! Luckily for those of us in Kern County, we have an organic farm in Arvin that produces some of the most refreshing juices on the market.

Adriana Rangel is an integral part of the family-run Apple Sherrill Orchards, a company that specializes in using its produce to create one-of-a-kind juice combinations. “My father-in-law used to work for Mr. Lewis Sherrill, the founder of the Orchards,” Rangel began. “When Mr. Sherrill retired, he sold the farm to my father-in-law, Reynaldo, and Isaac Vargas, his business partner.”

At that time, Adriana and her husband, Emmanuel, were living in Mexico; she studied graphic design while he studied business administration. When they finished their education, they came to Kern County to help with the operations. “Our farm is located in the small town of Arvin, in the foothills close by the mountains,” she relayed. “The farm has been in operation continuously since 1982. We grow a large assortment of tree fruit, including apples, peaches, apricots, oranges, grapefruit, plums, figs, tangerines, cherries, and pomegranates.”

But you don't have to go out to Arvin to experience the incredible fruits of their labors. “Our juices come straight from the farm to the farmers' markets [at Brimhall and Calloway on Saturdays and Haggin Oaks on Sundays]. They contain no additives, preservatives, or artificial sweeteners, and are pesticide free.”

Always delighted to share with residents, Rangel concocted up an amazing summer juice that will leave you feeling completely rejuvenated.v

Pineapple Green Juice

1/2 cup of diced pineapple • 5 kale leaves 2 apples • 2 cups of spinach Cut the apples into a size that is suitable for your juicer and start juicing. Drink right away to get the most from this nutritious, detoxifying juice!

PINEAPPLE PHOTO BY ATOSS/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK

Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins

Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins offers a full-service deli and organic salad bar featuring made-to-order sandwiches, juices & smoothies, a selection of homemade soups prepared fresh daily, and a sustainable seafood to-go sushi bar. Ask to order Jay’s signature “Hempnut” smoothie – a delicious and healthy combination of organic kale, berries, hemp protein, and coconut oil. Our deli’s spacious seating area is the perfect place to get together with friends or family. Free wi-fi, organic coffee and tea, and custom platters are available. Our store features organic and local produce, a large selection of vitamins and supplements, natural body care, gluten free and vegan options, organic groceries, and more. Family-owned for over 40 years. Mon-Sat 9am-9pm. Deli closes at 8pm.

4308 California Avenue. www.lassens.com www.lassensloves.com (661)324-6990

Stockdale Christian School

MASS SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM Sunday: 7:30, 9:00, 10:30 AM, 12 Noon, 5:30 PM Every Weekday: 6:30 AM Reconciliation-Saturday: 4:00 PM CONTACTS Parish: 323-3108, Monsignor Michael R. Braun, Pastor School: (Pre-School - 8th Grade) 327-7741, Donna Smith, Principal

124 Columbus Street

Educating for Eternity

4901 California Avenue Preschool: 661-327-2227 Elementary School: 661-327-3927 Jr. High School: 661-324-1836

Kern Chapter The American Red Cross strives to provide people with the skills and confidence to act in an emergency at home, in school, and in the workplace.

For more information visit us online:

KernRedCross.org

Mass Schedule

Rev. Msgr.

Craig F. Harrison Pastor 900 H St.

(1 block south of California Ave.)

661-327-4734 FAX 661-377-0363

Saturday: 8:00 a.m. (Honoring Mary)

5:00 p.m. (Vigil-English)

7:30 p.m. (Vietnamese) Sunday:

6:45 a.m. (English) 8:30 a.m. (English) 10:30 a.m. (Family) 12:00 p.m. (High School) 5:00 p.m. (Spanish) 7:00 p.m. (English)

worship grow serve www.LAURELGLENBIBLE.org SUMMER ONE SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 9:30AM JUNE 1 ST - SEPTEMBER 1 ST

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Religious Schools & Worship Services Directory

• Preschool through 8th Grade • Credentialed Faculty • Science and Computer Labs • Special Education • Athletic and Music Programs • Independent Study Programs • Extended Daycare

Our Lady Of Perpetual Help Parish

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Brandon Smith visiting Haiti in 2010, posing with the local children benefitting from B. Love Global’s mission of providing basic human needs to those around the world.

products and assembled in Central America,” he added. “But the items we donate are manufactured within the countries we donate to. This helps support both economies while spreading the business model to contractors and employees all over the world.”

The products donated to children in need are the same products sold to the public, just in children’s sizes and with slight material changes to meet durability requirements. To date, B.LOVE Clothing has donated items to children in Nigeria, Guatemala, and El Salvador, plus the organization has founded relationships with Pakistan and Haiti.

But what’s special about this set up is that the buyer can actually find out where their donation went on an individual level. “You can actually see where the item or items you’ve made possible for a child have been donated by typing in the serial number on your Little Red Tag. This number matches the number on the child’s item that only you

two share,” Smith said. It’s a way for people to truly understand the difference they are making. “Once the serial number has been entered, the website actually displays an interactive map, photos, and video from the distributions to the children.”

But helping out the world usually starts by helping out your own town. And Smith is always thinking of ways to help out our community through B.LOVE Global, the nonprofit parent to B. LOVE Clothing and others (including B.LOVE Food to help strike out hunger). For six years, the organization has hosted a city-wide effort, known as Love for Thanksgiving. “B.LOVE along with thousands of volunteers provide Thanksgiving dinner to those who would otherwise go without it. In 2013, we were able to distribute over 40,000 meals to people living in Bakersfield.”

So it would seem generosity is at the core of B.LOVE. “Our motto is, ‘loving others as we love ourselves,’ ” Smith added. And B.LOVE needs the community’s help to continue this mission, especially after a senseless robbery earlier this year set back the work of B.LOVE Clothing.

“We’re currently rebuilding after the robbery ruined us financially and left us without inventory. So we’ve launched a Kickstarter crowd funding campaign [with a link on their website] so that people can help.”

But that’s not the only way to play a part in this worthy charity. B.LOVE can also use volunteers to help travel the world and distribute the clothing to children in need.

Visit www.blove.co to find out more. n www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 99

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BRANDON SMITH DIDN’T GROW UP WITH A LOVE OF FASHION OR BUSINESS. WHAT HE DID GROW UP WITH WAS A LOVE OF PEOPLE. So no one was more surprised than Smith when after some soul searching, he founded a nonprofit company that included the design and production of clothing.

But after hearing more about Smith’s journey, it’s easy to see that soul searching and surprises were just what he needed on his path to help people. And ultimately, that’s just what B.LOVE Global is about.

“In February 2008, I was in a period of self-reflection and conviction based on my beliefs and lifestyle,” Smith explained.

“They seemed to contradict one another and my heart was extremely heavy. After a simple prayer asking for direction, things started to unfold.”

Smith traveled the world, visiting countries where he knew no one but spent his time meeting thousands of children in need. Then he walked our own streets.

Soon after, he put his nose to the grindstone to come up with a way to meet at least one of those needs by manufacturing clothing for those who have none.

“Soon I was learning how to design shoes, jeans, and other garments and also how to start a company,” Smith detailed. B. LOVE Clothing was born.

“With B.LOVE Clothing I’d wanted to design my own apparel and footwear. I had zero experience in fashion, absolutely zero. Seemed simple enough,” he said with a laugh. “When I started learning I’d microwave shoes, softening the glues and helping to tear them apart to figure out how they were made. It smelled horrible and I caught my roommate’s microwave on fire once…maybe twice.”

But soon production was underway.

How B.LOVE Clothing works is simple.

People purchase designer clothes and for each purchase, an item is donated to a child in need around the globe.

“The new items we sell to the public are made here in the U.S.—with exception of the shoes that are sourced with domestic

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Design Inspiration

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4 1 0 2 , 1 2 June

R STRAMLE PARK

DON’T MISS THE FUN! HURRY AND REGISTER! Space is limited to only 120 teams OR registration deadline of June 11th...whichever comes first!

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Epilepsy Society of Kern County 5117 Office Park Drive 661-634-9810 • Fax 661-634-9814 eskc20@aol.com epilepsysocietyofkern.org

Since 1974, Ronald McDonald House Charities has been providing a place of peace and comfort for those whose children (or siblings, grandchildren) have been affected by harrowing medical issues that require extended hospital stays.

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Ronald McDonald Houses have been springing up all over the world. In fact, countless residents have benefited from the Houses in locations throughout our state, including those who worked directly for local hospitals and charities. approached Bruce Peters [the VP/COO of BMH] to ask why we didn’t have a Ronald McDonald House here locally. Bruce said he would give him a building and a check for $25,000.”

“We started from scratch,” Darling began. “We didn’t even know how to get it to function, but it was one of those great projects that truly is a labor of love. At the time, I was a representative for the local McDonald’s operators for community projects. One of the operators had asked me what it would take to build a House here.

Everyone was very positive about it and there was broad-based support from the community. There was also a bit of an educational component to it because a lot of people didn’t know the purpose of the Ronald McDonald Houses. Now people understand that it is where families can stay when kids are sick and in the hospital.”

Both Sabin and Darling agreed that, prior to the revisions that were made, pediatric care—especially emergency care—was lack-

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WHETHER IT BE A HOUSE, FAMILY ROOM, OR A CARE MOBILE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FACED WITH THE HARDSHIPS OF A SICK YOUNGSTER CAN FIND A RESTING SPOT WHEN IT IS NEEDED THE MOST. From its intrepid beginning, Ronald McDonald Houses have been springing up all over the world. In fact, countless residents have benefited from the Houses in locations throughout our state, including those who worked directly for local hospitals and charities. So when Bakersfield Memorial Hospital started to upgrade its pediatric services, many asked the question: why not a House of our own?

Our local House Director, Scarlett Sabin (a woman who is known by her colleagues to “live and breathe” the Ronald McDonald House), relayed where we had our start. “Back in 2006, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital was expanding the neonatal area and developing the PICU, amongst other endeavors to help treat children. The head of PR there at the time was Jim Darling, and he

PHOTO BY ROBERT PEREZ

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(L-R) Scarlett Sabin & Jim Darling of Bakersfield Ronald McDonald House, Mike III, Mike Jr., Kyndal, and Sadie Hill

ing in Kern County. In fact, when it came to the Houses, specifically, there wasn’t a single one in between Los Angeles and Madera.

Tending to a sick child is stressful and frightening, in and of itself.

Having to travel far from home makes it all the more challenging.

Darling and his team got to work. He would visit the chapter leaders in Los Angeles, who were very receptive and helpful to our county’s noble endeavor.

“Once Global Charities had approved the project, it was up to Jim to raise eighty percent of the funds before we were allowed to break ground,” Sabin stated. “They started in 2006, and were able to open up June of 2009.” After opening, countless families have stayed in the House, which was a place where they could cook meals, watch television, do laundry, and sleep in comfortable beds.

In short, it provides a sense of normalcy during what could be an otherwise hectic situation.

As yet another testament to how giving our community is when it sees a need, Darling recounted his experience with fundraising to make this dream a reality, and how it all came together much easier than he had anticipated. “I put together naming rights opportunities for sponsors and met with a lot of people who were willing to donate money, time, and building supplies,” he said. “The first person I spoke with about naming rights for the building was >> www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 101

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Les Denherder, owner of HPS Mechanical, and not only did he agree to do it, but he also replaced the plumbing in the entire house. The caliber of work done and the overall generosity of the sponsors was amazing.”

Even those who called into KUZZ were able to make donations in a bid to win a Fender guitar signed by none other than Merle Haggard. “People were calling to make donations, even if they knew they weren’t going to win.

We collected over $14,000 in mostly small donations. It was a great success, built upon the efforts of good-hearted people,” Darling said.

The house that was used was already on the BMH campus, and was being used for families of cardiac patients and was hardly being utilized. “The entire house was stripped down to four walls,” Sabin stated. “There was nothing there, so they completely rebuilt the interior.”

(It is worth noting that, prior to the opening, both Sabin and Darling had to stay at Ronald McDonald Houses due to complications their children were experiencing. As Darling said, “It gave me a whole different perspective of the charity. It was humbling to be able to experience that firsthand.” In Sabin’s words, “I could actually relax [during her son’s stay].”)

Our community’s support of the House has remained strong throughout the years it has been open, and one couple, in particular, has been a cornerstone in our local House. Sadie and Mike Hill, Jr., are owners of Johasee Rebar in

Bakersfield, and in 2012, they decided to put one of their business’ main principles—giving back to the community— at the forefront of their endeavors. “We had met Julie and Dale Frye, Sr., when my husband, Mike, purchased a race car through them. They’ve been a big part of supporting the Ronald McDonald House since their grandson had been at the children’s hospital in Madera,” Sadie recalled. “They got us in touch with Scarlett, and we had her in tears when we called and told her we would be bringing her a check for $40,000.”

Between their efforts since then—be it at the raceway or the annual Walk for Kids—the Hills have helped to raise over $75,000 for the charity. The Fryes, owners of Frye Motorsports, have raced to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House on multiple occasions. To put it lightly, these dedicated residents do what they can to give back to a charity that has helped their families. As for the Hills, what motivated them the most was hearing the touching stories from people like the Fryes and, as Sadie said, the fact that, “We are so blessed and fortunate to have two healthy children, but as parents, we wanted to help those who were in that situation. Mike has a huge heart and hates to see anyone suffer, especially children.”

Perhaps Darling said it best when he stated that, “The Ronald McDonald House belongs to the community, because that is who built it.” For more information about the House, or to see how you can help out, visit their website at www.bakersfieldrmh.org. n

PHOTO BY ROBERT PEREZ

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5K or 2 Mile Walk, Kids Zone, Health Expo, Survivor’s lap, Remembrance Ceremony, Health screenings, prizes, entertainment, and more!

Upcoming Events:

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Take Steps. Save Lives.

Join the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association in its mission to build healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke.

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Form a team and register for free at bakersfieldheartwalk.org or (661)327-1173

9/17 “Business and Industry Leaders Breakfast” featuring Barbara Grimm-Marshall.

Fall Date “Let Us Feed You so We Can Feed Others BBQ” TBA with the Petroleum Club of Bakersfield and Imbibe.

11/8 Annual Fundraiser at Stockdale Country Club.

New theme to be announced soon!

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE

www.GoldenEmpireGleaners.com for information on food assistance, volunteering, upcoming events, and donating.

NATIONALLY SPONSORED BY:

LOCALLY SPONSORED BY:

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THIS AD MADE POSSIBLE BY PRINT MEDIA SPONSOR:

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661-589-6511

4750 Coffee Road, Suite 103

EndlessSummerBakersfield.com

Now offering Infinity Sun Custom Airbrush $ Spray Tans for 35 HOURS: Monday-Thursday 7:30am-9pm Friday | 7:30am-7pm Saturday | 9am-5pm

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5512 Stockdale Hwy. 325-8300 106 Bakersfield Magazine

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KLEA Banquet Hall GREAT MOMENTS MADE HERE

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klea.org • 661-392-4430

Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Cormier (Lynnsey Neufeld) November 2nd, 2013 Kern County Museum Abby’s Photography

Everafters...

E-mail your wedding photography and information to: weddings@bakersfieldmagazine.net

www.bakersfieldmagazine.net / Summer 2014 107

Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Patrick (Morgan Hashim) March 8th, 2014 Bell Tower Club Ashley dePencier Photography

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5201 Riverlakes Drive 108 Bakersfield Magazine

Mr. & Mrs. Josh Hayes (Jaime Getz) April 26th, 2014 Grand Oaks, Tehachapi GC-Goforth Photography

Everafters...

E-mail your wedding photography and information to: weddings@bakersfieldmagazine.net

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Karen Dewalt & Phyllis Bransfield

Kim Ming & Randi McDowell

The Bakersfield Association of REALTORS hosted their second annual Wine Tasting & Auction event at Motor City Lexus. Representing Team Bringing Home the Cure, there was wine from an assortment of California wineries, a live and silent auction, and 10 different local restaurants provided delicious food for all those in attendance. Some of the prizes were as grand as an African Safari for two, and all proceeds went to benefit the team’s efforts.

Denise Sardo, Shelly Leak, & Sarah Smith

Theresa Olson & Barbara Bogner

Linda Jay

Amanda Morse

Amy Morse

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Rachel Magnoni, Susan Loomis, & Seana Chapman

JoAnne Wakefield, Amanda Valenzuela, & Vera Gorgij

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Joy Gurrola & Lisa Fisher

Jasmine & Danielle Velling, Debbie Bredeson

Kelli Cortez

Carmen Boatwright

Renee Massey, Shannon Hilton, & Nicole Bickham

BMOA ARTMIX

Erin Briscoe & Jerrad Kiser

Dione Lang & Rubay Griffin

Kathy Scrivner

Sara Gonzalez

Hailed as “A curated cocktail party,” the Bakersfield Museum of Art hosted its own ARTMIX, which blended specialty drinks right along with one-of-a-kind works of art. Twenty artists contributed their finest creations for a silent auction that took place during the evening. Supporters dined on gourmet tidbits provided by restaurants like Goose Loonies Tavern & Grill and Narducci’s Cafe while sipping beverages from Imbibe Wine & Spirits.

Pam Colt & Pam Griffin

Kevin Johnson

Jan Troxel & Sandi Molen

Cathy & Jim Shaw

Robert Campbell-Taylor

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Global Family Best of Bakersfield

The annual Best of Bakersfield event was a smashing success. It was an amazing night, full of fun, auctions, a gourmet dinner, and most of all: philanthropy. Funds raised help Global Family and its Daughter Project to protect young girls worldwide who are at risk of trafficking and abuse, and now that includes Kern County, where Daughter Project clubs will be formed to help educate local girls and give them a safe place to stay.

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Garden Pathways High Tea

Fuchsia Ward

Brenda Lewis

Fern DiNicola

Ginny Hamisch

The local nonprofit that helps to mentor youngsters in our community—Garden Pathways—held its annual High Tea at the Seven Oaks Country Club. Many notable figures in our community, like Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, were present to partake in a delicious lunch while listening to motivational speeches and enjoying entertainment provided by the many children who’ve been helped by Garden Pathways.

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Garces Memorial High School hosted yet another special play date. Children with special needs came to the campus to spend a day doing fun activities with the Garces students. Whether they were watching the magic show or taking a tour of the fire truck or police vehicles that were displayed during the day, everyone involved had a very fun, carefree time.

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bakersfield’s sound kern valley

Bank

18th Street and Chester Avenue after the great fire of 1889.

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Opening day... one day before the fire!

he great fire of 1889, which raged for three hours through Bakersfield, took place on the Sunday afternoon of July 7. While families were attending church, an inferno—which, according to Wallace M. Morgan's History of Kern County started innocently enough: reportedly in the kitchen where a Mrs. N.E. Kelsey was preparing Sunday supper—was consuming almost all of downtown.

One such structure through which the flames rampaged was the Kern Valley Bank.

A beautiful and dignified structure, it was a cornerstone of our blooming downtown scene, and a shining example of how our architecture was, indeed, in step with that of cities like San Francisco. The brick exterior was one of the things that saved the building, as almost all others were made of wood.

In a harrowing recollection of the blaze, Fire Captain H.P. Bender wrote in a letter to his fiancée, Cora, “With this demon we could not stay...The heat had become so intense that we had to turn the water on ourselves to keep from burning up...Some of us even had to hug the ground to keep from being melted down where we stood.” Doomed from the start, bucket brigades were employed to take on the blaze, as our water system had completely failed due to natural causes (roots had grown into the water tank, leaving practically no pressure in the hydrants).

The damage was more than considerable. There were rumors going around all of California, speculating that Bakersfield would simply be no more; premonitions of residents merely packing up and settling elsewhere abounded. Forty-four homes, 147 businesses and shops, and five hotels were laid to waste, and with a population of a few thousand at the time, the “village” of Bakersfield seemed utterly devastated.

“The Kern Valley Bank building, then just being completed, was gutted,” The Daily Californian further reported. (It was, in fact, dedicated the very day prior to the carnage.)

“But the walls were left standing, and were not torn down in the process of reconstruction.”

Though the bank may not have lasted, Bakersfield obviously did. The residents were just as proud then as they are now, and they defied the rumors that our town was doomed. “On the day following the fire, there was a mass meeting at the court house to provide relief for the homeless...it was agreed to decline all offers of assistance, the sentiment being that Bakersfield could care for its own.” And care, it did. Structures were rebuilt—in brick this time—and in as little as 10 days, many of the shops had been restored, and our city's pride remained intact.

the story of bakersfield is all around us, you just have to look — and listen.

114 Bakersfield Magazine

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