larger view

Thanks to Bakotopia.com I posted a this story on a new ABC23 blog titled Nick 2.0 and mentioned on my morning on-air segment.

Excerpt:

Of course there's ethnic diversity among the firemen of Kern County. But does the giant mural of firemen in downtown Bakersfield represent such diversity?

Pride, safety, heroes. That's what I first thought and that's what I still think when I see the giant mural across from Bakersfield's downtown fire station on 21st and F streets. I've passed by the mural countless times and peered up at a photo collage designed to spark pride in the community's 130-year history of firemen.

But then I was in a discussion with someone at Bakotopia.com about a concern with the mural. It wasn't a concern about firemen themselves. We all know they're heroes. They save lives. I'm sure they take a lot of heat. Pun not intended.

What was brought to my attention was the lack of ethnic diversity in the photo.

I suddenly realized that being dual ethnic myself that I was blinded by the grandeur and pride instilled in the artwork. It's not a bad piece of artwork.

But we're talking about a giant billboard that our community views everyday.

For some reason I instantly thought of Tony's Pizza on California Avenue. Now, Tony's Pizza is a shrine to local firemen. Walk into the restaurant and you get a sense that firemen in Kern County are a multicultural, diverse society of people. You'll see actual firemen inside the restaurant chowing down on pizza. You'll see photos, paintings, and you'll feel a sense of pride. You won't feel brown, black or white. You'll just feel cozy and no longer hungry after a great meal.

(read the full article on ABC23's Nick 2.0 Blog)