A new poll finds Americans are less patriotic and religious and also are less likely to tolerate others, Stockdale High's uber successful debate team and will the ancient Tulare Lake be recreated by the rainstorms?

 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.

 * ... OUR CHANGING WORLD: Sometimes it seems the world is in turmoil, and nothing reflects that better an annual University of Chicago and Wall Street Journal poll that takes the pulse of what is

important to Americans. And chances are you might not like what it found. First the bad news: patriotism, religious faith, having children and other bedrock priorities are no longer so important. Today, just 38 percent of the respondents said patriotism was really important to them and 39 percent said religious was equally important. In 1998 when the same survey was conducted, 70 percent said patriotism was important and 62 percent said religion was important. And here is another bad trend: "confidence in others" was deemed very important by 80 percent of the respondents two years ago and today, it has shrunk to just 58 percent.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD MARATHON: Were you among the thousands that lined the streets to cheer on the Bakersfield Marathon, or were you among a cranky minority who got stuck in your homes when streets closed along the route? First the good news: the race was a huge success and the weather was cooperated, yet once again folks along the route complained about the lack of notice that their streets or neighborhoods would be closed. We have passed the time where the marathon should be a surprise and instead we should be cheering an event that shows off the best of our city. If it was a mess, it was a glorious mess.

 * ... STOCKDALE DEBATE: If you want to feel good about something look no farther than Stockdale High School and its phenomenally successful debate team, which recently won its 10th consecutive Central Valley speech and debate championship. (photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian)

 * ... TULARE LAKE: All eyes are on the "resurgence" of Tulare Lake, the old lake bed that existed for thousands of years until the Kern River was damned and water diverted for agricultural uses. Here is a good explanation of the Tulare Lake and a couple of old pictures: "Then and Now, the Tulare Lake south of Kansas Avenue, Kings County, California.  Then image taken in 1938.  Now image taken earlier this week.  I've always said that the Tulare Lake will return, it just needed Mother Nature to remind everyone who's in charge.  The lake existed for tens of thousands of years as the drainage point for the Kings, Kaweah and Tule Rivers, along with numerous other creeks such as Cross, St. John's, Cameron, Deer and White.  It's going to be an interesting year."

 * ... MOSQUITOES: With all this rain we have had you can expect a huge mosquito season this year. Experts are warning this could be the worst mosquito season in years in Kern County.

 * ... OUR WORLD: Here are some more pictures taken by our citizen photographers about town. The first is by Jim Eggert, the second of a snow capped Mt. Able was shot by Pam Taylor, and  the third another beautiful photo by JoJo Paredes Butingan. The picture of the snow on Interstate 80 is provided by the CHP.

 * ... MEMORIES: John Kelley is a local historian who regularly shares his rich collection of photos and knowledge of our area. Here, John shares three pictures of an old 76 gas station that once stood mid way up the Grapevine headed south toward Los Angeles. Enjoy these amazing pictures.

The city embraces the Bakersfield marathon, the DeStafani family mansion on Buena Vista burns to the ground and the owners of Cafe Smitten on 18th Street plan to open a bar across the street in the old Dott & Ott

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.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD MARATHON: Another Bakersfield Marathon is in the books and along with it the gripes and complaints of some residents about all the street blockages. Others, perhaps cynically,

wondered if it was a mere coincidence that the Kern River bike path was repaved and restriped just days before the marathon, not to mention all the homeless encampments that were destroyed in the week before the race. So did the city spruce up the bike path and clear the homeless encampments just for the marathon? Or are folks just being cynical? And my friend Joseph had this to add: "Explain this to me. How have I never been able to get BPD to respond to a crime in progress but there can be multiple officers on every corner for this marathon? They are even on the bike path. Maybe if they did this all the time we wouldn’t have the problem in the river that we do."

 * ... BUT IT WORKS: Ini spite of all this, the marathon in its short life here has found its way into the collective heart of the city. Neighborhoods turned out to greet the runners, hundreds of recreational runners took park in shorter distance run and despite the traffic snarls, it is an event that adds to the richest and diversity of our community.  And hats off to the sponsors among them Dignity Health, Chevron, Jim Burke Ford, Buck Owens Crystal Palace and 23ABC.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I had no idea I had a gift for doing EVERYTHING wrong until my daughter became a pre-teen and decided to graciously point it out.'

 * ... NEW PLACES TO DRINK, EAT: There is a lot of activity in the local restaurant scene as Bakersfield comes out of the pandemic and people start resuming more normal lives. Shai Bitton, one of the owners of the popular Cafe Smitten coffee houses, revealed he has leased the space on 18t Street that once house Dott & Ott and will open a bar there later this year. And the main bartender at The 1800 restaurant and lounge, a Spanish gentleman named Cristo, is planning to open an authentic Spanish tapas bar over near the Locale farm to table eatery across from the downtown post office.

 * ... FIRE GUTS HOUSE: If you have ever driven out west on Buena Vista, headed toward the coast, you no doubt have seen the large home with multiple towering pines out near Independence High School. Well it turns out that house, owned by the DeStefani family, caught fire this past weekend and much of the huge mansion was lost. Authorities later arrested a suspect. No word yet on the full extent of the damages.

 * ... PRIEST ABUSE: Have you noticed the rash of TV advertisements by a law firm looking for people who have been abused by Catholic priests? Run and paid for by the Minnesota-based firm of Jeff Anderson and Associates, the spots begin by showing the dangling feet of a young man, presumably in church, while in the grainy background a priest walks in, setting up a scenario in which the viewer believes something sinister is about to happen. As it turns out, the law firm is already representing two men who claim they were sexually abused by former priest Craig Harrison, who left the church under a cloud of accusations. One unidentified man claimed he was between 15 and 17 years old when he was abused by Harrison in Firebaugh in 1993-1995 and the other claimed Harrison abused him when he was around 13 years old back in 1990 at St. Francis. Those lawsuits are pending and will soon be heard in civil court. Harrison was put on paid leave by the Diocese of Fresno in April of 2019, he later filed a defamation suit against the Diocese (it was dismissed) and Harrison has since left the church and surrendered his priestly duties. Harrison cannot face any criminal charges because of the statute of limitations, but he does face multiple civil lawsuits that seek to hold him accountable.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these old photos courtesy of our friends who maintain the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, that posts so many wonderful memories.

The sheriff and the district attorney plan to step up enforcement on the streets, good news for our homeless crisis, Trump sends experts to Los Angeles to check on that street crisis and getting ready for another Bakersfield Marathon

Monday, September 16, 2019

 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. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... HOMELESS: This may be some of the best news yet to come out of battle against drug addiction, homelessness and and street crime. It looks like District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and

Sheriff Donny Youngblood are working together to find ways to prosecute people for misdemeanors, now that Sacramento has decriminalized all but the most serious of violent offenses. This excerpt is from The Californian: "Due to limited jail space, deputies in Kern County typically give out citations for those arrested on suspicion of drug possession or stealing less than $950. But law enforcement officials say those cited seldom show up in court, and the next time they are arrested they simply receive another ticket and give another promise to show up. “We’d like to be able to not give someone a ticket who has possession of drugs, a ticket to someone who has vandalized, a ticket for someone with a promise to go to court,” Zimmer said. “Because they don’t go to court. They don’t go to court because they are high and they can’t make these kinds of decisions. They have to go to jail.” It won't solve everything, but it is an important step forward.

 * ... MORE HOMELESS: The Trump administration has sent experts to Los Angeles to study the homeless crisis, and what they saw was not pretty. There are an estimated 45,000 people living on the streets in Los Angeles, and along with that have come typhoid, and invasion of rats and other public health issues. Rev. Andy Bales of Union Mission church told Forbes that five of the visitors were from the Environmental Protection Agency because "human waste flows into storm sewers." But that is not all. Bales also warned of types of homeless he is seeing. "We are seeing behaviors from our guests that I’ve never seen in 33 years,” said Bales. “They are so bizarre and different that I don’t even feel right describing the behaviors. It’s extreme violence of an extreme sexual nature. I have been doing this for 33 years and never seen anything like it.”

 * ... WEDDING: Congratulations to Blake Strong and Emily Holtzman tied the knot Sunday in a lovely ceremony at the new Metro Special Events space on 18th Street. Strong works for Kaiser and Emily is a local body artist. The couple met in Santa Rosa, lost their home after the fires and relocated to Bakersfield where Strong was raised. If you haven't visited Metro Special Events, try to do so. It is Don Martin's latest creation after he vacated the old Metro Galleries on 19th and Eye streets.

 * ... MARATHON: Are you ready for the Bakersfield Marathon? The fourth annual run will be held November 17, once again starting in the southwest at CSUB and winding its way through town and up to Bakersfield College before heading back. Officials expect to set yet another record turnout. The Bakersfield event serves as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

 * ... MEMORIES: Some more wonderful old pictures from our past thanks to the Facebook pages Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans.

Kern River through Bakersfield expected to dry up by October, Willie Rivera says he won't run for reelection to the City Council and Dignity Health steps up to sponsor the Bakersfield Marathon

 * ... KERN RIVER: Next time you drive through town make sure you appreciate the fast flowing current of the Kern River. Though still highly dangerous, the current has slowed considerably (at least

from its peak) and experts are now saying the riverbed may be completely dry by October. When that happens, we can all break out our tee-shirts that read: "Bakersfield: a riverbed runs through it."

* ... RIVERA: Willie Rivera, the youngest person ever elected to the Bakersfield City Council, has announced he will not seek reelection. Rivera, now 26, is in his second term serving Ward 1 but told me on my radio program that he is ready to move on. Rivera says he is not sure what the next step is, but he will remain in Bakersfield.

 * ... MCCARTHY: Did you catch House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy being interviewed on The Today Show by Jenna Bush Hagar? He was promoting the merits of a bill he sponsored that would provide free training in high tech careers to veterans.

* ... MARATHON: Hats off to Dignity Health which has stepped up to become the new title sponsor for the Nov. 12 Bakersfield Marathon. The title sponsorship of the marathon represents a robust partnership between Dignity Health and the Active Bakersfield Alliance, a privately-funded nonprofit organization that has managed the Bakersfield Marathon since its inception.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Being an adult means going to the grocery store and paying a ton of money and still having nothing to eat."

* ... MEMORIES: Tom Walker wrote to answer a question about a Sgt. Chitwood who used to visit local elementary schools. Said Walker: "He is my father-in-law. I married his daughter Cheryl Chitwood in 1966 and have been happily married to her for 51 years. Sgt. Carl Chitwood was a wonderful man and a member of the Bakersfield motorcycle drill team and retired from the police department after 25 years. He would go to the area elementary schools and teach bicycle safety to all the kids."

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And Phyllis (Hicks) Smith added this: "In your memories section of your column Gary Fong has mentioned Sgt. Chitwood visiting the schools many years ago. His mother was my dad’s sister Mollie. I am sorry I really didn’t get to know the sons as they were somewhat older than I.  I do not remember which one was the officer, but I think it was Carl. There was Carl, Russell and Wallace. Thank you Mr. Fong for remembering this."

 * ... AND MORE: Lastly, reader Vickie Shallock chimed in with this memory: "He came to the elementary schools and talked to us about the police department and, specifically, bicycle safety. I even came across my BPD Bicycle Riders License that Sgt. Chitwood issued to me in sixth grade (1961-1962). My dad, who was CHP, knew Sgt. Chitwood as well and always spoke favorably about him."

A tale of two cities: celebrating the success of the first Bakersfield Marathon and lamenting the trash left behind after the annual Veterans Day parade

 * ... MARATHON: Kudos to the organizers of the first Bakersfield Marathon that succeeded on levels far beyond the athletic endeavor for almost 2,000 participants. From elite runners to folks

doing their first 5K, this was an all inclusive event that filled our streets with good cheer on a near perfect November morning. Across town, from the southwest to Panorama Drive, neighbors met on the street, coffee mugs in hand and dogs in tow, to watch the runners pass. When was the last time an event like this brought so many of us together?

 * ... VETERANS DAY: I wish the same could be said for the annual Veterans Day parade, but shame on those parade goers who thought it was okay to leave their cups, soiled napkins and fast food wrappers along the parade route. Here's a thought: next year let's hire folks (the homeless?) to walk the route with empty trash bags to encourage people not to litter.

* ... TRUMP: If you start noticing people wearing safety pins on their shirts or blouses, there is a reason. The idea: people who have felt insulted or maligned by Donald Trump are being urged to wear a safety pin as a show of solidarity against our president elect.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a huge house and cry in any room you like."

 * ... NEXT GENERATION: When I moved to Bakersfield more than two decades ago the community leaders included people like Jim Burke, Ray Dezember, Wendy Wayne, John Petrini and Eric Matlock, all tremendous people who have since died. I was thinking of them recently when a group of Bakersfield's "next generation of community leaders" gathered for dinner to support Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Miracle Society. These young philanthropists include Lindsay and Nick Ashley, Gianna and Ken Beurmann, Stacie and Clayton Campbell, Antone Chicca, Jen and Dan Clifford,  Lauren and Jeremy Helper, Elizabeth and Jeff Holz, Jill and Morgan Houchin, Jen and Dawson Li, Nicole and Jacob Panero, Lara and Michael Riccomini, Anna and Austin Smith, Victoria and John Trichell, Jennie and Beau Woodward and Briana and Dominic Zaninovich. Miracle Society donations this year enabled the purchase of a motorized gurney to transport patients who arrive at Memorial Hospital via air ambulance.

 * ... HARBOR FREIGHT: When did the Walgreen's on White Lane become Harbor Freight tools?

 * ... GOOD FORM: And finally there was this note from Mark Schaefer: "As a proud father of a student and husband of a teacher there, I have to say the annual Veterans Day celebration at Veterans Elementary School in the Norris School District was another wonderful event. Since opening in 2006, they have stayed true to the school's name during the week of Veterans Day. Monday night was another packed event with thank you letters to veterans written and read by students, patriotic singing, a guest speaker, and a flag planting ceremony by all the families in attendance. Nearly 1,000 attended this celebration, and made me proud of our school and community yet again! I can't wait to do it again next year."

The demise of the "mainstream media," good news for the old Silver Fox and Karen Goh comes in for some criticism

 * ... ELECTION: One of the biggest losers in this election cycle is the mainstream media, however you choose to define it. Thanks to the internet and more sharply social media, this is a world where

everyone is a publisher, further eroding whatever influence and credibility the so-called "mainstream" media (traditional gatekeepers like network and cable television, local TV, newspapers etc) has enjoyed over the years. Increasingly, bloggers and activists who are savvy in social media and new distribution methods are the ones holding the influence in today's elections. It's up to us, the voters, to sift through the tsunami of lies and half truths that often pass as "news" these days.

 * ... SALVAGGIO: A good example of this trend is former city councilman Mark Salvaggio, who occasionally takes to the internet to share his political views. His latest: a stinging criticism of mayoral candidate Karen Goh whom he describes as deceptive and calculating. Said Salvaggio: "What do Emilio Huerta, Vince Fong, Tiffany Organ-Bowles, Cory Woodward, Kay Meek, Kyle Carter, and all other local candidates with ballot statements have in common?  They are all, unlike Karen Goh, being open or transparent with the people they want to vote for them. Goh is the only one who does not list her age. She is 60 years old. Why the secrecy over your age Karen?" He goes on: "Karen Goh will not openly talk with the press; she insists on any questions from the media be e-mailed to her first so she can have time to huddle with her campaign consultant, Mark Abernathy, to develop e-mail responses."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you ever get caught sleeping on the job… slowly raise your head and say 'in Jesus' name, amen.'"

 * ... SILVER FOX: More great news on the restaurant front: I was thrilled to read in The Californian that Rod and Julie Crawford, owners of Pyrenees Cafe, are buying the old Silver Fox lounge and will try to bring it back to is former glory. The Crawfords' track record at Pyrenees is nothing short of remarkable, and I have little doubt that their new eatery, to be called Silver Fox Starlite Lounge, will become one of the "it" places downtown.

 * ... MARATHON: The inaugural Bakersfield Marathon is set for next week (Sunday, November 13) and while it should be a good show for spectators, but be advised streets will be closed throughout town. It will start at near Cal State Bakersfield in the early morning, head down Stockdale Highway to Oleander, through Westchester, up Chester to Panorama Drive and back down the bike trail. People along the route are already talking Bloody Mary parties to cheer the nearly 2,000 runners when they pass. If you have questions about road closures, call (661) 249-6450 or email directors@activebakersfield.org.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the name of the pitcher for the Bakersfield minor league baseball team who got married at home plate at Sam Lynn Park. He later pitched for the Cleveland Indians. The pitcher: Don Mossi.