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Do you know what Timothy Ped, the man on the left, accomplished?

Read about him and others in this week's People in Business column.

Then send news of your own new jobs, promotions and work achievements for next week's column.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Oct. 1 to 5 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures.

Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer.

Highlights for Oct. 1 to 5:

• 65 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $650,000 in the 93312 ZIP code. It was 4,115 square feet.

• Cheapest? One sold for $37,000 in the 93309 ZIP code. It was 1,145 square feet.

Comments on the prices? Anyone trying to buy or sell?

— Christine Peterson

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Do you know what Regina Ng, pictured on the left, accomplished?

Read about her achievements and those of several other Kern County profesionals in this week's People in Business column.

Then submit yours.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The Californian and the Small Business Development Center are hosting a seminar on target marketing from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Small Business Development Center, 2100 Chester Ave., room 107.

Read the details in the attached flier.

Then register by calling 395-7318 or writing to Mary Russo.

The changing bailout strategy is enough to leave anyone confused.

Bail out the banks? Help the auto companies? Prevent foreclosures? Who gets what, and how? Should any “bailouts” go straight to taxpayers?

We want to hear your ideas for solving the nation’s economic crisis.

Send your solution in 250 words or less to business@bakersfield.com. Be sure to include your full name and phone number, so we can consider your response for publication.

Bloggers, we need your real name to consider your response for the paper! Share your ideas!

Thanks!

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I was at the Vons in the Marketplace Saturday, powering through the dairy section, when a teenage employee asked whether I was finding everything I was looking for.

"Yes, thank you," I said, pushing my cart and nearly knocking over a display. I stopped at the deli counter, then moseyed to the fruit stands.

A second teenage employee asked if I was finding everything I needed. "What's the deal with all this customer service?" I thought. Did I look lost? Was there some dictate from on high at Vons for employees to be super pleasant to customers?

I asked the clerk, whom I'll call Billy, why all the questions. He was stacking bananas.

Billy said they were supposed to ask how customers were faring because if a "mystery shopper" came through the store and employees didn't ask him or her, that would be noted. As would the names of clerks the mystery shopper encountered. Uh-oh.

"Well, how do you know I'm not a mystery shopper?" I asked.

"They're pretty easy to spot," he said, adding these folks typically visit each department in the store while making their rounds.

Good to know. Has anyone else noticed more attentive employees these days?

— Jenny Shearer, staff writer

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Reporter Gretchen Wenner got to the bottom of the layoff news, finding out exactly how many people are losing jobs at Mervyns and other businesses in Kern.

When will it end?

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Bloomberg FOIA s~.pdf

No one knows how the Federal Reserve has allocated about $2 trillion in emergency loans -- public money SEPARATE from the $700 billion bailout Congress approved.

Bloomberg news recently filed a lawsuit to find out after a Freedom of Information Act request went unanswered. Their story about the significance of keeping the public informed is here.

You can download Bloomberg's complaint in PDF form by clicking on the blue box to the left. It's only about 9 pages in all.

When public money is involved, a high level of transparency is in order. That's not been the case here, which is alarming for us newspaper types.

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

Kern Schools Federal Credit Union is holding two free workshops on surviving difficult financial times.

The first is 6 to 7:30 p.m. today; the other is from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Both are at the credit union’s administration building, 9500 Ming Ave., west of The Marketplace.

The workshops, conducted by Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Kern & Tulare Counties, will cover managing bills while unemployed and comprehensive debt repayment plans, financial management, bankruptcy counseling, budgeting, foreclosure prevention and more. Staff will be available to answer questions about existing credit card debt and loans.

Call 833-7045 or go to www.ksfcu.org to sign up.
 

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Sept. 21 to 28 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures. Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer.

Highlights for Sept. 21 to 28:

• 89 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $740,000 in the 93314 ZIP code. It was 4,743 square feet.

• Cheapest? One sold for $58,000 in the 93308 ZIP code. It was 1,276 square feet.

Any comments on the prices?

— Christine Peterson

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Sept. 15 to 21 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures.

Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer.

Highlights for Sept. 15 to 21:

• 93 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $1.25 million in the 93311 ZIP code. It was 5,609 square feet.

• Cheapest? One sold for $27,500 in the 93307 ZIP code. It was 696 square feet.

Any thoughts on the prices?

— Christine Peterson

Here's a press release from the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce:

How can your company be successful and grow in an uncertain economy?
 
Strategies that can enhance your ability to be competitive are the focus of a luncheon seminar on Marketing and Finance in a Challenging Economy, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Chamber, 1725 Eye Street.

Featured speakers are Keith Brice, Mid State Development Corporation; Greg Heiss, Rabobank, N.A.; and Jim Pentico, Dale Carnegie Training in Central California.

“In a cyclic and changing economy, businesses and individuals need to evaluate their plans, find ways to be more effective, improve their understanding of these matters and the effects of their decisions,” said GBCC Business Development Committee Chair Heiss. “The ultimate goal is to improve a company’s ability to compete and rise above the obstacles.”

Cost is $20 per Chamber member, $30 per nonmember, and includes a boxed lunch. Call 661-327-4421 to RSVP.

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BRENT DEZEMBER, president and owner of Bakersfield-based StructureCast Inc., has been elected to serve on the 2009 board of directors of the National Precast Concrete Association.

Read more about his accomplishment and those of several other People in Business in this week's column.

Then submit your notice.

People in Business announces new hires, promotions, awards, professional achievements and other business “people news” in Kern County. Submissions can be mailed to The Bakersfield Californian, business editor, P.O. Bin 440, Bakersfield, CA 93302; faxed to 395-7519; or e-mailed to business@bakersfield.com. Sorry, photos that are submitted cannot be returned. For information, call 395-7345 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

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Our latest map for homes that sold in Bakersfield from Sept. 8 to 14 is ready for a peek.

We regularly publish single-family home sale transactions that occurred between individuals, as well as foreclosures.

Check out what homes are going for, color-coded by price, with information from First American Real Estate Solutions compiled by reporter Jenny Shearer.

Highlights for Sept. 8 to 14:

• 133 homes are new on the map.

• Priciest? One sold for $1.05 million in the 93311 ZIP code. It was 4,243 square feet.

• Cheapest? One sold for $50,000 in the 93307 ZIP code. It was 968 square feet.

— Christine Peterson

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StoresClosingLis~.pdf

PressRelease.pdf

I've attached the list of 155 Circuit City stores closing around the country.

The Bakersfield store isn't on it.

You can download the company's PDF list of closing stores by clicking on the blue box.

You can also download the company's grim-sounding press release about the closures and its attempt to keep afloat in the tough economy.

-- Gretchen Wenner, staff writer

The "Got Milk?" campaign, working with the California Milk Processor Board, is sending "beauty packs" to 75 salons in California in an effort to tell teens that drinking low-fat milk is good for them.

Here's what they say in their press release:

"The rock band professing its love of and devotion to milk hits salons in the golden state to promote the beauty benefits of the “wonder tonic.” Starting this week, Rock Idol White GoldSM along with drummer and bassist, the Calcium TwinsSM will send out beauty packs (White Gold branded posters, plastic magazine covers, emery boards, nail polish and compact mirrors) to be distributed for free to teens to instill what studies have shown all along: that drinking low fat milk daily can nurture strong nails and healthy, shiny hair."

Here are the Bakersfield locations:

Endless Summer, 4750 Coffee Rd. #103

A New Hue, 1512 18th St.

Panache, 4000 Empire Dr. #300

Nails & Hair Palace, 2225 F. St.

Elements Hair and Nail Salon, 160 H. St.

Is it a Depression? Or a Recession?

"The Uncertainty of Our Financial System" will be the topic of a panel discussion at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13 at the Dore Theatre at Cal State Bakersfield. It's hosted by the campus Financial Management Association.

A panel of financial professionals, including bank CEOs and financial market experts will take on the topic.

Here are some details from the group's flier:

"Currently, the United States is a in a state of turmoil, Our Economic System is in a condition of instability, from wealth destruction to national security. The Financial Markets are experiencing enormous amounts of volatility, and credit markets are frozen. With the present interventions of the Federal Reserve and the Treasury, what is America’s next step, and what should you do?"

Questions? Call Professor Mahdy Elhusseiny at (661) 654-3480.