City crews tackle complaints on trash and litter, and a wildlife expert worried about mountain lions being driven close to home because of the drought

 * ... TRASH: Nice to see the folks over at the Bakersfield Solid Waste Division responding to complaints about trash and litter. After reading a post on this blog about the litter on the northbound ramp connecting Panorama Drive and Manor Street, Sal Moretti said he would dispatch a

crew from the Bakersfield Homeless Center to clean the area. Moretti, superintendent of the Solid Waste Division, said city residents can call 86-CLEAN when they spot areas that need to be cleaned. Moretti said crews from the homeless center also are helping clean the Westside Parkway and local freeways.

* ... BOBCATS: Steve Merlo is an avid hunter and outdoors writer who knows a lot about wildlife around town. After reading about the bobcat recently spotted on the bike path, he wrote to say bobcats were actually fairly common in our area. "What I would rather read about is the actual sightings of mountain lions in the same areas. The drought is forcing many species, including the big cats, to leave their traditional living areas and move down to wherever they can find adequate food and water--the Kern River being close to perfect habitat. I'm worried that someone will be attacked by a food deprived lion along the path or river and might possibly be seriously hurt or even killed. You see, I feel that whenever someone claims to see a mountain lion, then the only reason they saw it in the first place was because the animal was already stalking their pets or them."

* ... EAST HIGH: The folks coordinating the 75th anniversary of East High School are looking for at least five convertibles to use during the homecoming game. The event is set for October 12. Call Jesse Pena at (661) 496-8186 or Marti Larkin at (661) 578-2209 if you can help.

 * ... MUELLER: I was saddened to hear of the passing of Larry Mueller, one of our local citizens who always worked to make Bakersfield a better place. He died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 64. Mueller was past president of the Rotary Breakfast Club and a charter member of the Twilight Rotary Club. He was active on the club level but also contributed many times on the Rotary District level.

 * ... BAD FORM: Shame on the woman who attended an assembly at Norris Elementary School and chose to disrupt the ceremony when her son was honored with a group of other students. Said one grandparent:  "In the group that included my granddaughter, a women who somehow pushed her way in the middle of the students in the center section towards the front, jumps up with a large poster, complete with lights congratulating a young boy by name. She continued to hold up the large poster  pretty much blocking the view for most of the families and made it nearly impossible to get a picture as she bounced around with her huge obnoxious sign.  Good lesson to that child to only think of themselves."

  * ... GRAPERY: The plaudits and national attention for local grape company The Grapery keep on coming. The Grapery received an honorary Award of Excellence in a national, triple blind judging of table grapes conducted by expert Masters of Taste. The judging was part of the ongoing USA Taste Championships founded in 1986 with the establishment of Chefs in America, whose professional board members gather weekly to conduct taste tests on a myriad of food service and retail products. Nice to know they agree with the good taste we locals and fans of the company, founded by Jim Beagle and Jack Pandol, have known all along.

Baily the stolen Labradoodle finds his way him and remember when East High basketball ruled the Valley

 * ... BAILY IS BACK: Remember the 3-month-old Labradoodle named Baily who  was stolen from his cage in a downtown burglary last week? Well he's back, unharmed and the same except for extensive grooming and painted blue nails. The owner reported that he went home for lunch and "found my neighbor on my doorstep holding our dog. It took me a minute to recognize him because of the extensive grooming and the blue sparking painted nails, but it was him. She had come home midday to find him in her back yard with her dog. We don't know if he found his way home or he was dumped over the fence, but he's here." Who knows what happened, but it's good the pup is back home.


 * ... SINGLES: Did you know that almost half of all American adults today are not married, and that 28 percent of them live alone - the highest level in U.S. history? That's the word from Fortune magazine that noted the percentage of Americans living by themselves has doubled since 1960. Fortune noted that "Singletons play an essential yet unappreciated role in revitalizing cities and animating public spaces. Compared with married people, they're more likely to eat out in cafes and restaurants, exercise in a gym, take art classes, attend public events and volunteer." Further, the magazine said high concentrations of singles help create "urban tribes, social networks that substitute for traditional families."

 * ... GREENLAWN: Greenlawn Mortuaries and Cemeteries is constructing a new "Celebration of Life" center at its Southwest location, and is looking to the public to help design it with a special spin. The company is asking local families to submit "old black and white photos, 1950s and before, for consideration. If selected they will be copied, framed and displayed throughout the building." The originals will be returned. Interested? Call Sandy Moffett at (661) 324-9701.


 * ... EAST HIGH: Bill Abshier wrote to honor the legacy of former Bakersfield College basketball coach Ralph Krafve, and also noted that Krafve spent 13 years at East High where he racked up a record of 262-56.  "I was a sophomore at East in 1967 when we won the first Valley title ever for East High and the team was considered the finest team the Bakersfield area ever produced. (Quoting my 1967 yearbook). I have a great memory of sitting at a game that season with my dad, and my dad saying as we watched Krafve sit there with his legs crossed, relaxed,  'Look at him sit there, he isn't worried one bit, he has already done his home work.'"

 * ... SPOTTED: From Tonia Cody comes this: "I pulled into the ARCO AM/PM this morning on Union Avenue and pulling up to the pump beside me was a middle aged man in a large four-wheel drive pick up ... (then he) tosses a fully lit cigarette out his window.  God knows what might have happened to both he and I had there be flamable liquid on the ground."