A breakthrough in solar technology could spell trouble for fossil fuels, Cafe Med closes abruptly and Mexican drug cartels are now focusing on the latest cash crop: avocados

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 reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company. 


 * ... SOLAR BREAKTHROUGH? A story that didn't get much play this week involved a potentially game changing technology in the fight against global warming. Backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the technology uses concentrated solar energy to exceed temperatures greater than

1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit). Said one story: "For perspective, that kind of heat is about one-quarter of the temperatures found on the surface of the sun. At that temperature, the energy company—Heliogen—can replace the use of fossil fuels in critical industrial processes, including the production of cement, steel, and petrochemicals, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from these activities. This singular scientific achievement was accomplished at Heliogen’s commercial facility in Lancaster, California." Keep an eye on this techonology.

 * ... AVOCADO CARTEL? Are you ready for this? Apparently avocados have become so valuable that Mexican drug cartels are now adding the popular fruit to the list of other products - marijuana, cocaine and other drugs - that they want to control. According to a piece in The Los Angeles Times, Mexican cartels have beens seizing hundreds of thousands of acres of land to plant avocados in Michoacan state, already a region notorious for cartel activity. Said The Times: "Mexico's multi billion dollar avocado industry, headquartered in Michoacan state, has become a prime target for cartels, which have been seizing farms and cleaning protected woodlands to plant their own groves of what locals call 'green gold.'" (LA Times photo)

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER :Saw a rival dad unloading a turkey fryer so I brought him a fire extinguisher.

 * ... ADIOS CAFE MED: Cafe Med, the iconic Mediterranean eatery on Stockdale Highway, is closing after three decades in business. Owner Meir Brown said business had grown soft in recent years and factors out of his control - increases in the minimum wage, skyrocketing utility costs to name two - had made going forward untenable. The closing triggered a tsunami of criticism on social media over customers who held Cafe Med gift cards, some purchased recently, that are now virtually worthless. Brown first announced he was closing this Wednesday but the doors were shut for good on Friday, leaving fans torn between sadness and anger over being stifled with gift certificates. The closing of Cafe Med is just the latest in a long string of local businesses to shut their doors. Others include Joseph's Italian Restaurant, Red Door Interiors and Beverly's Craft store.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to Gary and Deborah Leary, who celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary this weekend. If you have attended a fund raiser where steaks are involved, chances are you spotted Gary and his son Anthony tending to the grill, while Deborah worked the room making sure the trains ran on time. Whether it is CSUB or the St. Francis du Paul homeless shelter, the Learys are among those who have contributed to its success.

 * ... MEMORIES: Here are a few pictures worthy of a walk down memory lane, thanks to the Facebook pages Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans.

Bad form on our bike path and one man's quest to chat with Bill Gates ...

 * ... BAD FORM: Another glorious weekend and Bakersfield was at its best with red white and blue flags and bunting adorning homes all over town. I celebrated with a long bike ride out through the Famosa Road vineyards, only to return to town to encounter a nasty crash of a cyclist on the bike path near Mohawk and Truxtun. Turns out the cyclist was going much too fast for the path, lost control going around a runner and went down hard. Wanna-be "racers" need to recognize that while it's a bike path in name, it's really for mixed use and is no place to "time trial" with your pals while weaving through pedestrians going 20 mph or faster. It's bad form and dangerous. If you want to ride like Lance, do it with one of the many groups of hard core cyclists who would be happy to take you out of town on the roads and leave you humbled.

 * ... DEAR BILL: A local business owner is on a quest to meet Bill Gates, or at least get him on the phone. If that seems odd, you'd have to know Dave Plivelich, local owner The Marcom Group and an active member of the downtown Rotary Club. Plivelich recently returned from India where he participated in the ongoing Rotary program to eradicate polio. He was so moved by that effort, and Gates' pledge of matching Rotary's efforts with a $300 million grant, that he has launched an unusual effort to get Gates on the phone. He wants to share his experiences and thank Gates for his generosity. Plivelich has posted an "open letter" to Gates on his company blog and asked others to spread the news. Consider it done, Dave. Let us know what Bill has to say.

 * ...RADIO RACHEL: It was nice to see local radio personality Rachel Legan profiled in the July edition of BakersfieldLife magazine. Rachel teams with her brother Dustin as morning hosts for KGFM 101.5. She's one of our community's true good spirits, a down-to-earth confidant who genuinely cares about this community and its people. She also hosts what I believe to be one of the funniest gigs in local radio, reading posts from the "missed connections" on Craigslist, a hilarious assortment of postings from local folks looking for love. On a personal note, she told the magazine her best piece of advice was from poet Maya Angelou while on Oprah: "'When someone shows you who they are, believe them - the first time.' That statement has been very useful to me. Even when I ignore it, I end up learning from it." (Rachel, right, with Melissa Vreeman from Channel 23)

 * ... CAMP BLUE JAY: Heard from Patricia Henson about the need for campers to attend the July sessions of Camp Blue Jay. This is a resident camp run for kids with mild to moderate communicative, cognitive and physical disabilities. The camp runs from July 11-24 this year with a younger group going the first week and an older group the next. The good news: so far ever registered camper has qualified for a full scholarship. "We do not want financial considerations to be a barrier to attendance," said Henson, executive director for the Society for Disabled Children. Interested? Call 661-322-5595.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From correspondent Riley Parker: You know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember when "The Coachlight Inn moved from Union Avenue out to 'the country' on Stockdale Highway."