The debate heats up over Critical Race Theory, Jordan Love to take the field for the Green Bay Packers and former TV anchor Ron Kilgore passes away

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication. 

 * ... CRITICAL RACE THEORY: It looks like our local school boards, traditionally viewed as venues of decorum, have become ground zero in the debate over Critical Race Theory. Already activists have

descended on meetings of the Kern High School District to oppose CRT, and some analysts say it was this debate that led to Glenn Youngkin winning the Virginia governor's race. Tune into the Bakersfield Observed podcast on Spotify for a lively conversation on CRT between Pastor Angelo Frazier and me.

 * ... JORDAN LOVE: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has tested positive for coronavirus meaning he will sit out this Sunday's game at Kansas City. Filling in for Rodgers will be Bakersfield native Jordan Love, a Utah State graduate who has been playing a backup role for Rodgers while in Green Bay.

 * ... WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Bakersfield has seen some great TV news talent come and go through the years and today we put a spotlight on some of the best we have lost. One of those who’s made it big: Melissa Magee.  McGee was at KBAK for three years in the early 2000s. After Bakersfield, Magee switched to weather reporting and received her Broadcast Meteorology Certificate from Mississippi State. She spent 11 years at East coast powerhouse WPVI-TV in Philadelphia before joining KNBC Los Angeles in 2020. She replaced longtime KNBC weatherman Fritz Coleman upon his retirement last year and is now the lead forecaster on the NBC4 News at 5, 7 and 11 pm.  

 * ... TV PASSINGS: And speaking of news personalities, former anchor Ron Kilgore passed away this week. Keep him and his family in your thoughts. Kilgore was news director, reporter and an anchor  at KBAK, KERO and KLYD radio.  He passed away earlier this week. He had most recently been a radio news reporter at KNX Newsradio in LA. Beverly Carr was one of the first women in Bakersfield TV news at KBAK in the late 1970s. She later spent the 1980s and 1990s in Spokane at KREM and KHQ. Carr passed away last September at just 66. (pictures courtesy of Facebook Group Bakersfield Radio and TV Broadcast Group).

 * ... RIP ROSE: We lost Rose Lee Maphis recently, one of the great names in the story of the Bakersfield Sound. Maphis performed as a harmony singer and rhythm guitarist as a duo with her husband Joe Maphis. They were pioneers of the Bakersfield Sound that developed in the mid-1950s and were known as Mr. and Mrs. Country Music. In her later years, she worked as a greeter at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, sharing stories about the genre's legends. Maphis's guitar is on display, next to that of her husband's double neck Mosrite and sheet music for their recording of the song Dim Lights.

 

 * ... MORE MEMORIES:  Who remembers Granite Station, located a bit northeast of Bakersfield just outside a Woody? This station is the location of an historic stage coach stop. Sadly the station accidentally burned down with all the historical artifacts in the mid 1990s. Thanks to the Facebook history page for this Greg Iger soht of Granite Station.

 

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And how about this old bar on Chester Avenue, which I spotted on a Facebook page devoted to old bars and saloons. The caption read: "Inside the "Arlington Hotel Bar" at 19th Street & Chester Avenue in Bakersfield, California......c.1895."

Political endorsements from the Bakersfield Association of Realtors, Assemblyman Vince Fong faces off against challenger Julie Solis and remembering Bakersfield's daughter, Patrica Alatorre

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... RED COUNTY: If Kern County is known for anything, it is the conservative streak that runs through our community, often at odds with the more progressive politics of San Francisco. But you might

be surprised to hear that the percentage of Republican voters has remained steady at 37 percent, compared to 34 percent for Democratics and another 22 percent for those who decline to state a party affiliation. According to today's Bakersfield Californian, this could be good news for Republicans because the share of voters who identify as Democrats has slid two percentage points.

 * ... ENDORSEMENTS: The Bakersfield Association of Realtors has issued its endorsements for the Bakersfield City Council. The BAR endorsed Eric Arias for Ward 1, incumbents Andrae Gonzales for Ward 2 and Bruce Freeman for Ward 5 and Patty Gray for Ward 6. In addition, the BAR is using a "yes" vote on Proposition 19 and a "no" vote on Propositions 15 and 21.

 * ... ZIMMER ENDORSES LACEY: District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer is among two dozen DAs who have thrown their support behind Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey in her reelection bid. Lacey is in a pitched political fight with former San Francisco prosecutor George Gascon. Gascon was one of the architects of Proposition 47, which decriminalized dozens of felonies across California, and opponents fear he will bring a dose of San Francisco justice to southern California.

 

 * ... FONG VERSUS SOLIS:  Did you see the debate between Assemblyman Vince Fong and Democratic challenger Julie Solis on KGET the other day? To be sure it wasn't much of a debate since it's hard to consider Solis a serious candidate given her past behavior in public. (Who can forget her tirade about "big titties" during a clash with Supervisor Leticia Perez?) And to Fong's credit, he maintained his composure and answered the questions seriously. Expect Fong to win reelection to the 24th Assembly District walking away.

* ... BAKERSFIELD'S DAUGHTER: Have you seen the new mural downtown celebrating the memory of Patricia Alatorre, the 13-year-old Bakersfield girl who was killed during an encounter with an older man she met on the internet? It's a lovely tribute and a reminder to everyone about the dangers of meeting strangers online.

 

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Remember when you used to go see the tattooed fat ladies at the fair, and now we see them every day for free?"

 * ... WORDS OF WISDOM: In a conversation with Pastor Angelo Frazier of Riverlakes Community Church, Frazier remarked on the historic times live in. "Every breath is an historic breath," he said. "We need to remember that." Amen.

 * ... GIRL SCOUTS: Who remembers a bus accident back in 1969 that took the lives of three young Bakersfield girls? I spotted this post on Facebook, which read: "Remembering the three Girl Scouts that died in a bus accident coming off the Grapevine (I-5) in 1969. Here’s to those who survived. May they all Rest In Peace. Just wondering if anyone remembers my cousin, Nancy Tatum. I was only 7 at the time and I don’t remember much about her. Also, thank you Munsey Elementary Scool BCSD for allowing me to take these pictures:"

 * ... MEMORIES: Compliments of Art Moore and the Facebook page Kern County History Fans comes this post on an old store on Chester Avenue. "Hochheimer and Company - Pioneer Store... 1900 to 1928 Chester Avenue.: Proprietor: Florent Schurra (1850-1937)... Chester Ave. between 19th and 20th St.

McLintock's Saloon in Paso Robles closes due to the coronavirus, a local pastor takes on the "woke" culture, Rachelle Murcia celebrates the remission of her cancer and book burning comes back into style

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other company or publication.

 * ... MCLINTOCK'S SALOON: There is more bad news on the coronavirus front. McLintock's Saloon in Paso Robles, one of four McLintock's locations, is closing permanently, yet another victim of our long pandemic. On its Facebook page, the owners posted this: "It is with heavy hearts we announce

F.McLintocks Saloon, Paso Robles has closed permanently. Sadly, the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been too much for us to undertake. F. McLintocks Saloon, Paso Robles was our fourth location and we were so proud to extend our footprint into North County. For 23 years 1234 Park Street was a Paso Robles tradition, serving up a taste of the Great American West in our signature saloon-style setting. We’ve slung a lot of joy across our historical bar to our loyal locals and tourists alike...those were great years! We’d like to thank all of our customers and neighbors who have supported us and accepted us into the community. Some truly wonderful people have walked through those doors. We celebrated many birthdays and milestones with so many folks. Thank you for blessing us with your company…those memories will always remain with us. We wish you all happy and healthy days ahead and hope you continue to support us at one of our three other Central Coast locations. Bruce and Toney Breault"

 * ... ANGELO FRAZIER: Angelo Frazier is a pastor at Riverlakes Community Church, a chaplain at the Bakersfield Police Department and a civic activist. On his Facebook page, he posted a picture of a man slugging a woman during a protest. In his words: "A woke society will find justification for this.. An awake society will say, "We've had enough!" A woke society will tolerate mob rule. An awake society will trust in the rule of law. In the end, a woke society is godless, lawless, truthless and aimless. This is where God is powerless, man is deified, sin is emboldened and any speech that is not progressively sanctioned, inclusively validated, morally subjective is considered hate speech and thus, must be shouted down and/or exterminated.  No, this is not us. An "awake" society will say, "We've had enough!" We are about God, family, country and friends. In fact,, God allows people to not believe in Him, however, it is not His desire. Nevertheless, we are neighbors and strangers from sea to shining sea..... We will rise, we will have a revivel-- spiritual, economic and patriotic. It will be one of healing, forgiveness and reconciliation. Evil has a shelf life. It can stand only on the willful agenda of those wishing to be disobedient to the founding principles and values of our nation and God.

 *... WELCOME BACK: Rachelle Murcia, local anchor for KBAK TV who has been battling breast cancer, is now in remission and will return to the anchor desk soon. Murcia posted a video on her progress this week in which she reported she is returning to work soon to continue her recovery. And the best news: her oncologist Dr. Ravi Patel reported she is now officially in remission.

 * ... SHARLET BRIGGS: Sharlet Briggs, president of Adventist Health Hospital since 2016, has resigned from her position. Briggs has spent three decades in hospital administration and will be succeeded by Jeff Eller, former president of Adventist Health’s Northern California region.

Sharlet Briggs

* ... STEPHON CARTER: Stephon Carter was one of the smoothest shooting guards in the history of Garces Memorial High School, and he continued that at CSUB where he ended his career as the Runners' highest all-time score. Now after six years of semi-pro ball in places like Mexico and Spain, Carter is returning home to serve as head coach at Centennial High School.

 * ... BOOK BURNING: Did you see the protesters in Portland have taken to burning Bibles along with the U.S. flag as well as other books they find offensive? Eerily reminiscent of Hitler's Nazi party that embraced book burning during its rise to power in the early 1940s.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: This about says it all.

 * ... RIP MONSIGNOR SWETT: Monsignor Ronald J. Swett, one of the longtime Catholic leaders in town, has died at the age of 78. Swett had been in hospice as he battled a lengthy illness when he died earlier this week. A native of Taft, Swett was a mainstay at St. Philip the Apostle since 1987, and he also filled in at St. Francis after Monsignor Craig Harrison was suspended after he was accused of sexually abusing several young men over the years.

 * ... SPOTTED: From the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, broken down on Highway 99 in 1919.

Protesters hit the Bakersfield streets both nights this weekend under a heavy police presence, Cheryl Scott to head the Bakersfield College Foundation and homecoming for two young Bakersfield lads

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other person or organization.

 * ... PROTESTS: Where were you during the weekend protests downtown against the death of George Floyd? I watched some of the coverage online and to my surprise I

received a text message around 10 p.m. Friday from my work colleague J.R. Flores saying he was with the demonstrators and they were marching into Westchester, where I live. Never one to miss the drama, I hurried down to 21st Street to catch a couple hundred people both in cars and on foot, honking horns, holding signs and chanting as Bakersfield police kept a respectful distance. Somewhere along the way, someone busted out a window at Bonnie's Best sandwich shop in 21st Street, but otherwise the protest seemed peaceful. (photos by JR Flores)

 * ... ANGELO FRAZIER: One of the witnesses to both nights of protests was Pastor Angelo Frazier of Riverlakes Community Church. Frazier used his time to walk between the police and the protesters urging calm, and noted he was disheartened by the defacing of the police memorial in front of the police station. Frazier will appear on The Richard Beene Show on (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) Monday at 2:30 p.m. to talk about the protests. (photos courtesy of Angelo Frazier)

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you are looting in Minneapolis please grab me an air fryer."

 * ... HOMECOMING: I ran into a couple of young friends on a bike ride this weekend on the road to Woody. Local boy Tyler Williams, a cycling phenom who has raced professionally across the world, was in town on personal business and hit the road for a quick 50-mile ride with Zach Griffin and a few others. Williams is married to another local product, Brea Williams, and they are expecting their first child in October. The couple live in Santa Rosa where Tyler trains with California-based cycling team and Bree is a nurse at the Santa Rosa Hospital. Also on the ride was Zane Adamo, a Bakersfield High graduate who is the son of Felix and Teresa Adamo. Felix is a world class photographer who is retired from The Bakersfield Californian and Teresa is also a journalist who is now writing children's books. Zane told me he was "walking in my father's footsteps" and is devoting his life to professional photography. (File pictures below of the Williams and Adamo)

 * ... CHERYL SCOTT: Congratulations to Cheryl Scott who has been appointed executive director of the Bakersfield College Foundation. Scott will direct all fundraising and community outreach and will report directly to college President Sonya Christian. Since 2005 Scott has been vice president of the Kern Economic Development Corp.

 * ... CLEROU: I spotted these photos on the Historic Union Cemetery Facebook page. A caption read: "Colonel Joe Clerou served his country with honor. The youngest of eight children of Louis and Lucie Clerou. After graduating from the University of San Francisco, Joe enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1941. During World War II he was involved in battles of Guadalcanal , Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. After World War II he was called back for the Korean War. After proudly serving his country Colonel Joe Clerou married his love Shirley Clerou and had six children and went into the tire business, working at Clerou Tire. Thank you for your service Colonel Joe Clerou 1919 - 2003

Gov. Newsom wants to shrink the state prison system at the same time business people are being threatened for reopening their shops, Uricchio's Trattoria to reopen for curbside service this Tuesday and Pastor Angelo Frazier to appear on The Richard Beene Show

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other person or organization.

 * ... RELEASING PRISONERS: Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to drastically shrink the footprint of California’s prison system, blaming massive budget cuts triggered by the coronavirus. According to his revised budget, Newsom wants to close two state prisons, shutter all three of the state-run juvenile prisons and cut some inmate firefighter programs. And if that is not enough, he is also proposing that prisoners be released early by shortening parole to a maximum of two years, down

from five years. The irony, of course, is all this comes at the same time that state officials are threatening to jail business owners who open during the pandemic. Now think about that: at the same time we are releasing hardened criminals, we are threatening local business people - the lifeblood of our economy - if they reopen their business to make a living. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood is among those who think this is ludicrous, as does District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. Let all that sink in while you gaze at the picture below of some of the inmates of our state prison system.

 * ... RESTAURANTS: If one thing is for certain, it's that we are all itching to go back out to eat at our favorites haunts. And while we aren't there yet, people are voting with their feet. Outside Luigi's on Friday, takeout customers enjoyed sitting at a long table to catch up, and the same was happening Bootlegger's on Oak Street. This week, Tuesday to be exact, Uricchio's Trattoria opens back up for curbside pickup and it's safe to assume there will be a mad rush to catch up with owner Claire Porter and her crew of regulars.

 * ... OPEN UP: Speaking of the pandemic and the lockdown, Pastor Angelo Frazier of Riverlakes Community Church has been an outspoken proponent of allowing churches to reassemble and for businesses to reopen in Kern County. You might have spotted him at the rallies in front of City Hall, wearing a mask and waving signs urging the reopening of the economy with reasonable accommodations. Frazier will be my guest on The Richard Beene Show this Monday at 2:30 p.m.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "When a disc jockey or a talk show host or a journalist who is being paid to work from his or her home tells people who can’t work, pay bills or pay their rent or mortgage to 'Stay home and be careful because we’re all in this together,' it’s okay to question the premise."

 * ... PUBLIC DEFENDER: An attorney in the Kern County Public Defender's office has triggered a firestorm over a Facebook post suggesting there should be a "memorial" for the "victims" of law enforcement officers. The post read: "If Friday is Peace Officer's Memorial Day then is Sunday their Victim's memorial day?" Bad form? You be the judge.

 * ... EARTHQUAKE: Did you feel that 6.5 earthquake out of Nevada on Friday? It happened around 4 a.m. and while it produced little damage (see the pictures below) it was felt in some parts of Bakersfield.

 * ... JIM BURKE FORD: Well here is another sign of the times. The Jim Burke Ford dealership on Street was vandalized this past week to the tune of some $70,000. Apparently a homeless person took rocks and bricks to the showroom windows as well as damaging multiple new vehicles on the lot.

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers the old River Theater, where Oildale teenagers of the 1960s would enjoy a matinee for just 25 cents Thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page for this nugget.