REMINDER: Only 116 days until the Taft Diamond Jubilee -- The Taft Oildorado, Inc., celebrating Taft's 100th birthday, October 15-24 and the dedication of the Oil Worker's monument with Huell Howser present to videotape his program called, "California Gold" for public television broadcast on the West Coast. The year 2010 is also the anniversary of the world famous Lakeview Gusher -- the granddaddy of all gushers -- that spewed 9,000,000 barrels of oil over a year and a half before it stopped flowing. A historical marker is located at the crater of the gusher on the old road between between Maricopa and Taft. The Taft Oildorado website is oildoradodays.com.
Reader Responce
From Trice Harvey, Class of 1955, from Bakersfield, CA
Tommy Stevens speaks for himself in this e-mail! Ken Twisselman and I had a good visit at noon today. He spoke of a Greek family, in Craig, Colorado, who had been there for several generations. Name was like Popagjanopulos ?? Ken says there are a lot of long time Greek family in that area!! Are you aware of them?? Little Brain
From Jerry Ault, Class of 1958, from San Diego, CA
Pete, just for fun I often still take this road into Taft. I remember the first time I drove home from Bakersfield as a kid in my dad’s car with the light switch on the floorboard. It was dark going up that hill and lights weren’t the greatest on cars at that time, kinda scary for a fifteen year old. Jerry Ault
From Trice Harvey, Class of 1955, from Bakersfield, CA
I'm a man who knows 36 Hill !! Ed Turner an I ran down 36 Hill several times for fun!! He lived at 29 G gas plant at, the intersection of Taft High Way and Honolulu Rd, and some times we didn't have a ride to his house!! I had to shift down to second gear, in my 38 Ford. to make it over. My car had vacuum wipers; so they would stop when the engine was straining!! That's bad in rain?? Little Brain
From David Conant, Class of 1942, from Hayward, CA
Should children witness childbirth? Good question. Here's your answer.
Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-yr old girl to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby.
Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked. Heidi pushed and pushed and after a little while, Connor was born.
The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry.
The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3yr old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.
Kathleen quickly responded, 'He shouldn't have crawled in there in the first place......smack his ass again!'
If you don't laugh at this one, there's no hope for you.
