Bako Bits: Gridlock in Washington, Sacramento frustrates voters and the demise of the old, folded paper map

 * ... GRIDLOCK: Frustrating to watch the Sunday news shows and hear the finger pointing and name calling from our nation's leaders. It's not much better in our own California legislature where dysfunction seems to rule. Meanwhile voters like Dale Hopwood express disillusionment over proposed laws that would regulate things like what kind of sheets can be used on hotel beds. Said Hopwood: "Your comments about the useless laws mentioned by (Assemblywoman) Shannon Grove just goes to strengthen my belief that we need to return to a part time Legislature. Too often our legslators want to be judged on the quantity of laws introduced, not the quality or need."

 * .... SIDEWALKS: Bill Dean spotted my earlier post on dating our sidewalks by the contractor stamps and said he was the grand son of Fred Dean of Dean and Stroble, one of the familiar names stamped on the sidewalks in the older parts of our community. "The business was lost in the depression and my uncle and grand father never recovered from the loss," he said. Dean and Stroble was just one of the many contractors who built sidewalks around town in the early 1900s.

 * ... OLD SCHOOL: It was over lunch with my 21-year-old college senior daughter and her friend when they began talking about the old folded, paper maps of their childhoods. With GPS now available in cars and smart phones, will these college students may be the last generation to even be familiar with paper maps?

 * ... MARATHON: Jeff Johnson wrote to mention that his daughter, local attorney Amy Barks, ran her first full marathon in the recent San Francisco Marathon. She turned in an impressive time of four hours and 25 minutes. Amy's friend, Jennifer Neil, also ran, as did her triplet 6 year olds in the Munchin Marathon, an equally impressive 100 yards.

 * ... VET CENTER: Bakersfield College is opening a Veteran Information Center for student veterans in an effort to help those coming back from combat and entering the education system. J.R. Browning startied the BC Vets Club last year and the college has been supportive of his efforts. Said his wife Nicole Browning: "My husband has been placed in the role of fund raising for future events at the Veteran Information Center and we hope to help this grow and inspire more veterans to go to school."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Jane Sears wrote to ask if anyone remembers the celebrity golf tournament at Bakersfield Country Club back in the 1960s which featured the likes of Tennessee Ernie Ford, Charlie Pride, Joseph Campenella, Max Bauer Jr. (Jethro from the Beverly Hillbillies), Telly Savalas and our own Buck Owens. Apparently John Wayne was there early to help raise the flag.