Happy 19th birthday to Ridgecrest resident Basha Brownstein

Basha Brownstein, age 19, at the Barkery
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

By Ben Ford

Birthdays are a special day celebrated by most worldwide. 365 revolutions of Earth typically signifies that one single day you were brought into this life. 

However, if you're lucky enough to have that single day land on February 29th, then you have the unique privilege of being born on a leap year! 

Every four years one extra day is added to our calendar on February 29th to compensate for the change in our orbit.

Not everyone born on this day considers themselves "lucky." Just ask Ridgecrest resident, Barbara "Basha" Brownstein. 

"Growing up, everyone always felt sorry for me because I could only celebrate my birthday every four years."

For those of you who don't know who Basha is, she is hard to miss. She begins each morning rain or shine on a walk with her little dog Roo. 

Basha Brownstein with Roo celebrates her birthday with Dawn and Ben Ford, owners of The Barkerty in Ridgecrest. Photo by Steven H. Robinson

They pop in to the Barkery for a quick bite (for Roo) before hopping across 165th to Cafe Aroma for a coffee and a chat. Then the two finish up their typical loop through the neighborhood. As a two time cancer survivor, she works at Cancer Lifeline, sharing her wisdom with others. 

She has been a staple in the community for many leap years. Nineteen leap years to be exact. That's right, Basha will be a 19-yr-old on Thursday!

So if you see Basha and Roo strolling through Ridgecrest, give them a honk or a hello. February 29, 2024 was Basha's last day as a teenager. She is one special lady on one special day.