Bako Bits: animal lovers turn to hospice care for their pets and another California city teeters on bankruptcy

* ... PETS: Losing a beloved pet is one of life's more difficult moments, and determining when you should pull the plug can be heart breaking. But hospice care for failing pets? That's what got my attention in a story in The Los Angeles Times about a woman who sought hospice care for her failing cat. And it turns out that this is a growing movement across the country as grieving owners try to find a kinder and gentler way to say goodbye to a long-time companion.  (photo courtesy of The Los Angeles Times)

* ... ATWATER: Keep your eye on the small northern California town of Atwater, the latest municipality to head dangerously close to insolvency. The city has declared a fiscal emergency, which allows it to restructure union contracts without negotiations. The city has had layoffs, furloughs and salary freezes as it tries to balance its budget.

 * ... KIRSCHENMANN: The race to succeed Sue Benham in the Ward 2 City Council race is fully under way, pitting restaurateur Terry Maxwell against Planning Commission member Elliott Kirschenmann and David Mensch. Kirschenmann will be my guest on Californian Radio KERN 1180 on Monday at 9 a.m. Also joining me later in the hour will be Jeff Konya, the Athletic Director at Cal State Bakersfield, which is expected to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) this week.

 * .... FOOTHILL: Foothill High School will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 13. During halftime of the football game the school will dedicate and anounce the new name of the football field as "Ned Permenter Stadium," recognizing the retired dean of the local coaches.

* ... CYCLING: Amanda Bartel is a local cyclist who wrote to put the spotlight on two fellow cyclists who came to the aid of a stricken rider during the recent Lighthouse Century on the Central Coast. Turns out the rider, an unidentified man, suffered a heart attack during the ride when two Bakersfield nurses, Sharon Pierce and Lisa Osborn, stopped to help save his life. He was stabilized, hospitalized and expected to make a full recovery. "I am honored to be a part of a community of people that care for our fellow man and don't hesitate to do whatever it takes to assist others," she said. "Sharon Pierce and Lisa Osborn are heroes in my book."

 * ... PFISTER: And speaking of cycling, Stockdale Country Club tennis pro Hank Pfister held his annual birthday ride Saturday to Panorama Heights, a grueling 100-mile jaunt with more than 8,000 feet of tough climbing. Among those who joined in the fun were Herb Benham, Kerry Ryan, Richard Picarelli, Bruce Haupt, Jack Skaggs, Bob Smith, M.T. Merickel, Ryan Ricard, Zach Griffin, Glenn Hammett, Jeff Simpson, Greg Walker, Brett and Cindy Bonetti and others.