General :: How To Remove Google Bar From Home Screen

I've been playing with various widgets, putting them on the home screen & building groups of apps to keep the screen simple, so I can actually see my wallpaper. (Nothing special, just pics I like.)

Problem is that huge Google bar at the top. Is there an simple way to get rid of it, like the select-drag-drop for other home screen stuff.?Also, there seems to be some limits on where I can actually put apps or widgets. Is there a way to adjust this too?I'd really like to put a dashboard widget in place of that Google bar.

Finally, is there a way to disable Google when I select or swipe nearby the bottom of the screen?

This is a real pain-in-the-patootie when playing solitaire & the cards get near the bottom of the screen.