http://www.cabakersfield.com/

Bakersfield is a better choice for living, working, growing, and playing than other California places as it is affordable, accessible, and extremely welcoming. Just take a moment and learn more about Bakersfield.

Bakersfield (metropolitan population 406,000) is a growing community projected to double in population in twenty years. Located in Kern County, Bakersfield is at the southern end of California’s Great Central Valley where settlers once found rest and sustenance from the town’s founder and namesake, Colonel Thomas Baker, as they trekked westward to find gold.

Learn more about the history of our city by visiting the history webpage. Bakersfield’s climate is warm and dry which contributes to its huge 200-crop agribusiness base, including citrus, potatoes, table grapes, almonds, pistachios, tomatoes, and pomegranates.

Agriculture is not the only producer in Bakersfield, however, as the region is the fourth largest producer of oil in the U.S., bringing highly sophisticated technology and skilled, dynamic individuals to the area. Bakersfield continues to be known as one of the most "digital savvy" cities in the United States, according to Digital Government.

Kern River And there’s more…

Bakersfield offers many resources for educational opportunities. It is home to California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield College, a UC Merced campus and extensive adult education facilities. Bakersfield is also linked to the UCLA medical school though its six area hospitals.

Besides the educational opportunities, Bakersfield offers several natural attractions. It is within two hours of Pacific Ocean beaches, mountains, and the Giant Sequoia National monument. Bakersfield is home to one of the fastest flowing rivers west of the Mississippi, the Kern River, where white water rafters enjoy the great outdoors. Others enjoy leisurely walking, biking and roller skating activities along the Kern River Parkway with its 12-foot wide bike path that meanders alongside the Kern River. The Parkway extends nearly 20 miles along the banks of the Kern River, starting at the California Living Museum northeast of town and ending near Cal State Bakersfield.

Family traditions are valued…

Bakersfield is a place where family traditions are valued. Family outings can include trips to the many City parks, visits to the McMurtrey Aquatic Center, attendance at sporting events such as Condors or Blitz games, evenings spent at The Bakersfield Ice Sports Center, or simple participation in the many activities offered by the City’s Recreation & Parks Department. Families can also enjoy world class entertainers that perform at the Rabobank Arena Theater & Convention Center. Over the years Bakersfield has produced some world class professional athletes in every sport imaginable, from the legendary football great Frank Gifford, the boxing Quarry family, Jerry Quarry, Mike Quarry and Bobby Quarry to the pro ball football player of today Joey Porter, Racing has produced the Mears gang, 4 time Indianapolis 500 champion Rick Mears and his brother off road Champion Roger Mears to the current family member Casey Mears and the Bakersfield born NASCAR Champion Kevin Harvick.

An added plus, Bakersfield offers affordable living for families, at costs accessible to many first-time home buyers. Excellent award-winning schools continue to enhance their educational programs and lifelong learning opportunities are an ever-increasing community asset. Bakersfield is truly a family friendly city.

Check out Bakersfield’s page on IdGoBack.com today!

Los Angeles Lakers
Staples Center , 1111 S.Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (213) 742 – 7100
http://www.nba.com/lakers

From the George Mikan-led Minneapolis Lakers teams of the ’40s and ’50s to the "Showtime" era Magic Johnson teams of the late 1980s to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s dynasty of the early 21st century, one thing has been consistent about the Lakers: winning. The franchise has boasted a host of Hall of Famers and has compiled a string of championships which has scarcely been rivaled in the history of American sports.

The Lakers began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League for $15,000 and relocated it to Minneapolis. As the Gems had by far the worst record in the NBL, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1947 dispersal draft, which they used to select George Mikan, later to become, arguably, the greatest center of his time. With Mikan, new coach John Kundla and an infusion of former University of Minnesota players, the Lakers won the NBL championship in that 1947-48 season and joined four other NBL teams in jumping to the Basketball Association of America, where they promptly won the 1948-49 BBA championship. The NBL and BBA merged to become the NBA in 1949.

The Minneapolis Lakers were one of the dominant teams of the fledgling NBA. With Hall of Famers George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, and Clyde Lovellette, they were the NBA’s first "dynasty", winning five championships in six years (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954).

After their move to Los Angeles in 1960, the team featured Hall of Famers Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain, but despite the wealth of talent, they were repeatedly foiled by the Boston Celtics, losing the championship to them six times in eight years. It wasn’t until 1972 when they strung together a record 33-game win streak under Coach of the Year Bill Sharman that they were able to secure their first championship in Los Angeles.

However, even with the addition of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they weren’t able to win another championship until the arrival of Earvin "Magic" Johnson in 1979, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to an MVP performance by the rookie Magic, who, starting for the injured Kareem, had 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists to clinch the series. Under coach Pat Riley, a former Laker player, the Lakers then went on to dominate the 1980s, appearing in the finals eight times in the decade and being crowned champions five times, including consecutive championships in 1987 and 1988, the first team to do so since Boston in 1969.

In a December 9, 1977 game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets center Kevin Kunnert got into a fight with the Lakers’ Kermit Washington. As Houston guard Rudy Tomjanovich ran over to the two, Washington turned and blindly swung his fist. The powerful blow landed squarely on the face of a running Tomjanovich, causing massive jaw, eye, and cheek injuries; Tomjanovich’s skull was also fractured when his head hit the floor. That shocking scene became the defining moment of not only the Rockets’ 1977-78 season (a conference finals team the previous year, collapsed into last place with a 28-54 record) but also of two basketball players’ professional careers. Tomjanovich, displaying the "heart of a champion", spent the next five months in rehab returning to play as an NBA all-star.

Although they made another finals appearance in 1991, they spent most of the 1990s fielding teams that were not considered legitimate championship contenders. During the 1999-2000 season, however, they were able to make it back to the Finals when Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Phil Jackson proved to be the winning combination, taking three consecutive championships. After missing out in 2003, a retooled Lakers team featuring newcomers Karl Malone and Gary Payton roared into the 2004 finals heavily favored to win, only to lose to Detroit in five games.

The following summer, the team was ripped apart. Personality conflicts between Shaq and Kobe Bryant came to a head. Shaquille O’Neal demanded to be traded and he was, sent to the Miami Heat. Karl Malone retired, Gary Payton was traded to the Boston Celtics, and Phil Jackson left, replaced by Rudy Tomjanovich, who left the team part way through his first season.

Kobe Bryant led the retooled young team but the results were anything but positive and the Lakers ended up missing the playoffs for the 1st time in 11 years, & the 1st time in Kobe Bryant’s professional career. Here in the 2005 season, fans have reason to be optimistic, thanks to the return of Jackson, and are looking for the Lakers to make the playoffs.

The team is renown for the fanbase of famous celebrities, such as musicians and movie stars who attend its games. However, its most avid fans are actor Jack Nicholson and the California-based popular funk-rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers who attend every game. There’s even a rumor that singer Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea attend even the preseason games as a measure of their dedication to the team, and American Idol 4 winner Carrie Underwood has announced that she is an avid fan. The song "Magic Johnson", a tribute to the Showtime Lakers, can be found on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ album Mother’s Milk.

Check out the Laker’s page on IdGoBack.com and leave a review of this awesome team!