The city moves forward with a sales tax initiative, CBD oil is the hot new product and lots of changes coming to the local restaurant scene

Friday, June 22, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com. 

 * ... SALES TAX: The Bakersfield City Council has voted to place a proposed 1 percent sales tax increase on the November ballot. The idea is pitched as a public safety measure, but City Manager

Alan Tandy says some of it will go to pay for pension obligations. Of the $50 million it will generate, Tandy said about 13 percent of it will go to pay for pensions, and that will only increase as the years go by. With crime and homelessness rampant, city officials are hoping the voters will put their own safety over concerns about bad pension decisions.

 * ... CBD PRODUCTS: CBD oil, a derivative of cannabis marketed as a dietary supplement, is one of the hottest products in the country. But is it a true miracle elixir that can alleviate a host of ailments or an overhyped new product that will prove to be a flash in the pan? It certainly has a growing audience of supporters who claim it can help alleviate everything from arthritis, to joint and back pain to acne and insomnia. Bakersfield now has its first CBD shop located on F Street next to KC's Steakhouse, owned and operated by Ted Sisco. Because CBD does not contain THC, the ingredient in cannabis that produces the high, it can be sold legally throughout the country. So if you have arthritis or another ailment, could it hurt to try it?

* ... FOSTER PARENTS: Hats off to Anthony and Ali Davis, a local couple who has fostered more than 50 young boys and girls over the years, and adopted three of them. Anthony, a South High graduate who went on earn an undergraduate degree, and Ali, a BHS grad who did a stint teaching, migrated to foster parenting out of a sense of fulfillment and a calling to do something special for those in need. Over the years they adopted Mathew, Emma and Nathan, the last of whom was a safe surrender baby at Memorial Hospital.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m no bully but if I see a guy wearing a bow tie I’ll give him a wedgie and take his lunch money because honestly, he’s just asking for it, isn’t he?"

 * ... JAZZ WORKSHOP: Temblor Brewing Co. is at it again. The popular local brew pub, which has long featured live music and comedy acts, has added jazz to its resume of weekly events. That's the word from the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop, which is ending its two-year run at The Mark restaurant and is heading over to Temblor for a change of scenery. The workshop features local jazz musicians and ensembles and regularly features some outstanding acts. Starting this Tuesday, the acts will appear at Temblor starting at 6:30 p.m.

 * ... EATERIES: Speaking of The Mark, word is the restaurant is in escrow and about to be sold. The previous owners, a group of doctors, upgraded and improved the property and opened an impressive outdoor venue next door called The Park at The Mark. The building and business are for sale, as is T.L. Maxwell's, yet another longtime downtown restaurant just a few blocks away. Stay tuned.

 * ... BAR CLOSES: The Happy Hour Bar and Tapas has closed just a year after it opened at the corner of Chester Avenue and 18th Street. The bar was an interesting experiment for Bakersfield, offering some tasty new twists on traditional dishes, but in the end it never gained traction downtown. No word on who might move into the space.

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers the old Fike's Market?

Noting the passing of Merle Haggard and his theme of "rebellion and escape," recognizing the rise of young musicians from North High School and Bakersfield Track Club plans an event this Saturday

 * ... MERLE: The coverage of Merle Haggard's death by my colleagues here at The Californian was without peer, but I am always interested in how others viewed the passings of local legends

. These phrases from The New York Times pretty much tell the story: "a supple baritone suffused with dignity and regret; the pliancy of his singing voice, a deeply expressive instrument that lent itself to a variety of tempos, arrangements and emotions; an architect of the Bakersfield sound, a guitar driven blend of blues, jazz, pop and honky tonk that traced its roots to Bakersfield, Calif."  And finally: "Rebellion and escape, themes steeped more in rock 'n' roll than in country music."

 * ... FOODIE: My recommendation for a refreshing (and super healthy) summer salad is the chilled seaweed salad from Jin Sushi on 19th Street downtown.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The best way to get a man to do something is to suggest he’s too old for it."

 * ... NORTH HIGH: I was leaving a downtown restaurant the other night when the melodic sounds of jazz caught my ear, a siren's call that enjoined me to follow the source of the music. I ended up at the beautiful outdoor seating area at The Mark restaurant where the 30-piece North High School Jazz Ensemble (led by band director Mike Wawrzynski) was performing before a group of parents, boosters and strangers like me who happened to be in the area. I know little to nothing about jazz, but I am a sucker for the soft wail of horns while watching youngsters embrace a musical education, and these kids were simply amazing. It was all part of Bakersfield Jazz Workshop that performs every Tuesday at The Mark, sometimes featuring acts like the kids from North High and other times impromptu jazz sessions from folks in attendance.

 * ... THE JUICE:  Tony Malon has been following the recent docudrama and coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial and had this comment: "I have watched everything published, TV, magazines, books etc. since the original O.J. trial. Do you know they still continually get the verdict wrong?"

 * ... RIVER RUN: If you are into fitness check this out: This Saturday is the Kern River Trail Run out at Hart Park, starting at 7:30 a.m. The Bakersfield Track Club is putting on the event to raise money for scholarships, and it will feature runs of 5K, 10K and a killer 10-mile run. (Please, no strollers or dogs). The cost is $50 for the 10K and 10-miler and $40 for the 5K.

 * ... MEMORIES: Can you stand one more memory about former KERO TV weathercaster Marge Stiles? This comes from former station employee Vinny Calaustro: "I worked at KERO-TV (then channel 10) as a props-assistant back in the summers of 1969 and 1970. At that time, Marge had her own separate studio which was permanently set-up. She used 'mirrors' to recreate that unique effect of writing backwards while delivering the weather forecast. I remember that the lighting and the angle of the mirrors was very critical. Very cool then and is still very cool. I also worked on the Don Rodewald Show, Meet Mitchell Show, and Uncle Woody Show. I was blessed to have known and worked along side these people."