He's back from vacation, some kudos for our Kern County Parkway bike path, and more bad form after trashing our local city parks

 * … HE'S BACK: Yes, I am back from a two week vacation. It's amazing how time off can cleanse and sharpen one's focus, and when I travel, I am always in awe of what a small world we share. In Zihuatanejo, Mexico, I met a cabbie who lived for three years picking grapes in Delano. The work

was backbreaking, he was working without documents, and he went home. Another acquaintance told me he spent six years in Fresno and Los Angeles and knew Bakersfield well. And finally in Barra de Potosi, a picturesque fishing village, I met a young man named Hugo who spent several years in the same neighborhood of Atlanta where I was raised. And as always, no matter how good the time off, it is always good to come home.

* … BIKE PATH: Sometimes we all need the perspective of a visitor to appreciate what we have. This from my colleague Rachel Cook, assistant managing editor of BakersfieldLife magazine. "My mom and her husband were visiting from Idaho this weekend and we took two rides on the Kern River Parkway bike path. They raved about how wonderful the trail is and how well maintained it is. My mom in particular gushed that it was nicer than trails she's ridden in Vail and Boise because it's so smooth. They also noticed that the people of Bakersfield are very friendly and welcoming. Altogether, Bakersfield made a great impression on them!"

 * …. TRASH: And there was this from an anonymous writer: "It is a shame the amount of trash that has been left at Jastro Park following a large gathering yesterday. I don't know if the city requires a permit to have a party at the park, but whoever reserved the park should be charged for the cleanup. It is a disaster."

 * … PISMO: In contrast, the beach at Pismo was thoroughly cleaned by 8 a.m. the day after the Fourth of July celebrations.

* … PITBULL LAWYERS: Reader Margie C. Casado rose to my defense after I referred to lawyers H.A. Sala and Daniel Rodriguez as being pit bull attorneys. "I did not read where you referred to counsel as pit bulls but, I would agree with you on that term. I own pit bulls and I am Hispanic. I fail to see the connection that Julie Womack was making and I don't know why she made a big deal out of your comment. Anyone living in this town knows what great attorneys H.A. Sala, Daniel Rodriquez and David Torres are. There are lawyers of other ethnic groups that are good at their profession also. I am glad you answered Julie the way you did without apologizing. To me, you were paying Mr. Sala and Mr. Rodriquez a compliment by calling them pit bulls."

* … MEMORIES: Ronal Reynier wrote to comment on the historic front pages that have been reprinted in the pages of the newspaper. "It would be interesting to see a reprint of sales advertisements.
Some years ago, while researching at the library, I pulled up the Californian printed on the day I was born. It must have been a slow news day. They did not even announce my birth. They did tell me that the city had about 37,000 people and 74,000 in the county. There had been 801 marriages and 800 divorces in the county. The most interesting page though was a full page advertisement by our local Ford dealer. They were announcing that 'credit is now available' on a car with a sales price of
only $909. That was real deal as at today's price it would be only $15,600. You could buy this car with only $303 down and finance the balance over three years at only 30 percent per year. Now is that a deal or what? "