Kevin McCarthy can please no one: Not the radical right, certainly not the left and not the moderate center of the GOP. Plus can you still shed the coronavirus even after vaccination? And a horrendous accident on Alfred Harrell Highway

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.

 * ... KEVIN MCCARTHY: The political fate of Rep. Kevin McCarthy, now into his eighth term in Congress, has never been more uncertain than it is now. And not because he is in immediate threat of losing his seat, but rather because never before has the popular congressman known simply as "Kevin" or "KMAC" around town come under such intense criticism. Consider for example the appearance of McCarthy's longtime mentor, former Congressman Bill Thomas, on KGET where he labeled McCarthy a "hypocrite" for

supporting the lies perpetuated by President Trump. It was a remarkable scene: Thomas seated next to KGET's Bob Price, taking his protege to task for not only voting against impeachment but for challenging the election results just hours after the U.S. Capitol was stormed by an angry mob. Thomas labeled the vote on impeachment "hypocrites and heroes, "noting that Rep. David Valadao had voted for impeachment. while McCarthy sides with the president. And then, on Sunday, McCarthy was the subject of a New York Times analysis in which it cited the Thomas criticism but also added that McCarthy was under fire by the extreme right of his party for not doing enough to defend the president. Said the Times: "Democrats and some Republicans called on him to step down. The anti-Trump Lincoln Project released an ad calling him a 'pathetic enabler' and urging his staff to 'pack up your desk and leave that loser behind.' A scathing Sacramento Bee editorial denounced him for having 'a soulless lack of principle' and for abusing his authority 'to promote big, dangerous lies about the election.' But in his home district — one of the most conservative in California — Mr. McCarthy has been under fire for not being loyal enough. The split illustrates the gulf between the national outrage over the violence at the Capitol and the local hold the president still has on conservative parts of the country. Mr. McCarthy’s district, which includes the city of Bakersfield and most of Kern and Tulare counties in the San Joaquin Valley south of Sacramento and north of Los Angeles, is a place where oil, agriculture and MAGA dominate." To be sure, McCarthy's support in the 23rd District is solid and even critics like Ken Mettler (mentioned in the Times article as a voice of the extreme right) have little chance of unseating McCarthy. But for the first time, McCarthy finds himself in the precarious position of pleasing no one - not the left, not the moderate wing of the GOP as seen in Bill Thomas, and not the radical right representing by Mettler and his ilk. Stay tuned.

 * ... BILL THOMAS ON THE RADIO: We will hear more from former Congressman Thomas this Tuesday when he appears on The Richard Beene Show to talk about the future of the Republican Party, the crisis facing our nation and his ideas on how the GOP can rebuild in a post Trump world. Thomas will come on at 2 p.m. Tuesday on NewsTalk 96.1 FM/1180 AM.

* ... CORONAVIRUS: Here is something to consider while you wait for your Covid-19 vaccine: once you are fully immunized, there is a chance you might still have the live virus and pass it on to others. That's the word from medical experts who are cautioning that there mere fact that you have been vaccinated does not mean you are done shedding the virus. The reason? Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines simply suppress the virus, and experts simply don't know if an asymptomatic person who has already been vaccinated may still be able to pass it on to others. That's way, the experts tell us, that reaching "herd immunity" (where 80 percent of the population has been vaccinated) is so important.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Lots of jokes about the My Pillow guy but ask yourself this: does anyone know who Biden’s pillow guy is?  we’re about to have a president who has no advisors from the pillow industry, let that sink in."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Wow so when a dog humps someone's leg, it's cute and funny but when I do it, I'm not allowed to enter the church again. Is it because I'm brown?"

 * ... CAR ACCIDENT: Did you hear about the accident on Alfred Harrell Highway this weekend in which a 24-year-old driver was killed? The woman was east bound behind the wheel of a Ford Expedition when she apparently lost control and the truck flipped multiple times. Nine children were inside - the vehicle was not made to seat that many - and all miraculously survived. The children were between the ages of 5 months to 15 years.

 * ... MEMORIES: And just take a look at the old Kern County Courthouse around 1910 with the Beale Clock Tower in the background.

Former Congressman Bill Thomas pays to send a message about our current political troubles, seniors line up for the Covid-19 vaccines and the Bakersfield Museum of Art prepares for a virtual show on the Bakersfield Sound

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.

 * ... BILL THOMAS: When Bill Thomas retired from Congress as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, leaving his seat to his protege Kevin McCarthy, the world was a different place.  But even Thomas could never have seen what would become of the country he loves, and the institution of

Congress that he helped mold. Now, Thomas has come forth to let the world know where he stands by purchasing a full page advertisement in The Bakersfield Californian to highlight a letter from a former staff member, Will Le. In it, Le details the story of a disaffected moderate Republican whose party seems to have abandoned him. "It saddens me to see what has happened to the Republican Party over the last four years under the grips of Donald Trump and Trumpism," he wrote. "And it is with even more sadness that those who have supported him and cheered him on are those who I once worked with and greatly respected... I am a man without a party. Both parties have stooped to the lowest levels to drum up anger against a political and economic system that has worked so well for so many people of so many different backgrounds."

 * ... COVID-19 VACCINE: The state of California opened up the coronavirus vaccine to residents 65 and older, and there was a tsunami of a response. Express Pharmacy on Brimhall was overwhelmed the first day and other urgent care centers had similar experiences; And now experts are warning that even with both doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, there is no guarantee that you might still have the virus and be unknowingly shedding it. "We just don't know yet," is how Dr. Brij Bhambi of Centric Health put it, saying researchers don't know if fully vaccinated people could still be contagious. The hope, of course, is achieving herd immunity across the country.

 * ... ART EXHIBIT: If you are a history buff and interested in the Bakersfield Sound, make sure you check out a new online exhibit from the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Called The Bakersfield Sound: Roll Out the Red Carpet, the exhibit will showcase major figures and stylings of the sound with costumes, guitars and posters from the era. Among those part of the exhibit is Felix Adamo, retired Bakersfield Californian photographer whose black and white shots of the time are can't miss items. The virtual exhibit will run from Jan. 28 to Aug. 28 this year. (Felix Adamo poses with some of his work below)

 

 * ... PARLER: There is a lot of chatter about Parler, the new social media website that caters to disaffected Republicans fed up with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The site has become a hotbed of rumors and conspiracy theorists have found it a home for their musings. Below is just one of the postings on Parler that speaks to conspiracies. Kicked off the Amazon hosting site, Parler is currently off line and it is not known when it will go back live.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these pictures of old Bakersfield, borrowed from some of the many websites that chronicle our history.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And how about this picture of the old Rainbow Gardens on South Union Avenue. Date unknown.

Former Congressman Bill Thomas pushes his agenda in the race for a seat on the Kern Community College District, a homeless woman hurls a rock through the window of local radio host Ralph Bailey and a walk down memory lane at Bakersfield High School

Monday, September 17, 2018

 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 such a special to live. Send your news tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... BILL THOMAS: Bill Thomas, the former chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means

Committee, may be retired from Congress but he is as active as ever on the local level. And when Thomas senses something is amiss with one of his pet projects, he works to make sure things go his way. All this explains why Thomas is making the rounds on talk radio campaigning for Nan Gomez Heitzeberg who is running for a seat on the Kern Community College District. Thomas has been filling an unexpired term on the board and is not running for reelection, and he has a beef with fellow trustee Kyle Carter (the ex homebuilder and mayoral candidate) about how to spend the nearly half billion dollars in bond money to rebuild Bakersfield College. Thomas wants the money spent within a five year period to completely rebuild the aging campus, while Carter has advocated a more lengthy timeline to provide local jobs. Heitzeberg agrees with Thomas, while Carter and fellow candidate Karen DeWalt (who worked on Carter's mayoral campaign) believe otherwise. These "down ballot" races rarely get much attention, but Thomas is busy making the media rounds to make sure otherwise. Stay tuned.

 * ... SHOOTING: Here is an odd one: Remember that jealous ex husband who killed his ex wife and four other people last week off Weedpatch Highway? Well according to ABC23, a single funeral service will be held to honor the couple. The news station said they family is planning a single funeral service for the gunman, Javier Casarez, and his ex wife, Petra Maribel Bolanos De Cararez. The two were divorced in June and authorities believed the killings stemmed from the ex husband's suspicion that his former wife was having an affair with one or possible two of the victims.

 * ... MAIL THEFT: Did you hear the story out of Milwaukee about the postal worker stealing greeting cards with money and checks in them? That's right, the 20-year-old postal worker, Ebony Lavonne Smith, pleaded guiding to stealing more than 6,000 greeting cards filled with cash and checks in Wisconsin. She was caught in a sting operation after hundreds of people complained their letters and cards went missing in the mail.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I lost eleven pounds in two days, and you can, too, provided you follow my raw poultry diet!"

 * ... SPOTTED AROUND TOWN: At the corner of Brundage and Cypress, an apparently homeless man on a bicycle is spotted riding with a fully blown up sex doll on his back.

 * ... HOMELESS: And if you don't think the homeless situation is getting worse, consider this note from my friend Justin Salters, who was walking to his car from lunch with this wife and infant daughter when they were approached by a homeless man asking for money. When Salters declined, the man retorted: "I hope it doesn't happen to your kid." And then there was this: Friday evening an apparently deranged homeless woman was knocking on doors downtown when she ended up at the apartment complex of KERN radio host Ralph Bailey. Before leaving, she hurled a rock through his front window. If you don't think the homeless are getting more aggressive, think again.

 * ... MEMORIES: From the Kern County of Old Facebook page comes this post by local historian Gilbert Gia: "The big white house across from the stadium is the relocated McDonald house. It was the high school’s second girls’ dormitory. My updated story is called Bakersfield High’s Dormitories, 1915-1955 (v6) and it is on the “School” page at https://www.historicbakersfieldandkerncounty.com/"

More disruption for local restaurants downtown, Bill Thomas and Kevin McCarthy split in the race for District Attorney and seeking bar food at the Firestone Grill

Friday May 4, 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. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

* ... BAD FORM DOWNTOWN: You really have to feel for the people who run a retail shop or restaurant in the downtown area. It's my favorite place to dine, but it battles a perception that crime is rampant and parking is scarce. But that's not the worst of it, because it seems the city is determined to

do what it can to hurt business. First there was the long weekend of a classic car show where blocks were roped off for the car show and some restaurants were forced to close their doors because their patrons could not make it beyond the barriers. Then on Thursday, to celebrate the National Day of Prayer, 19th and Eye streets were blocked off for a prayer ceremony, once again reeking havoc for all the downtown eateries. Chef's Choice Noodle Bar actually closed for the day and bar owners like Kenny Reed (the Alleycat) claim they were never notified. The Downtown Business Assn. dismissed this as a simple mistake, but instead of making excuses for the event, shouldn't the DBA being fighting on behalf of the businesses it claims to serve? (photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian)

* ... POLITICS: I am not certain just how important endorsements are in political campaigns, but they are fun to follow. The race to succeed Lisa Green as district attorney is one to watch. Former Congressman Bill Thomas, who casts a long political shadow locally, has endorsed assistant DA Scott Spielman while his friend and successor, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, has thrown his support behind deputy DA Cynthia Zimmer.

* ... LITERACY: Can you imagine going through life hiding the fact that you are functionally illiterate? It happens more than you might think, particularly here in Kern County where the adult illiteracy stands around 25 percent. Norm Brown, a high school dropout, went 47 years hiding the fact that he couldn't read before he headed over to the Kern Literacy Council where he was teamed up with retired petroleum engineer Ed Western as his English tutor. He is now reading daily, is the proud owner of his first library card, and devouring a biography on Walk Disney. Next time you are looking to write a check to a non-profit, consider the Kern Literacy Council.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "What position is it in soccer where my kid tries to find a four leaf clover?"

 * ... FOODIE: There are plenty of sports bars in town featuring bar food and big screen TVs, but few offer better customer service and quality food than Firestone Grill on California Avenue. In addition to having the best French fries in town, Firestone's staff goes above and beyond and the lineup of salads, burgers and barbecue is consistently top shelf.

 * ... JOHN COX: John Cox, a seasoned business reporter who left The Californian more than a year ago, is returning to the newspaper. Cox left TBC to take a job in San Diego but will will rejoin the newsroom on Eye Street. This is good news for The Californian, which has witnessed a serious talent drain over the past year. Among those who have left are columnist Lois Henry, sports editor Zach Ewing, city editor Christine Bedell, lifestyles editor Jennifer Self, politics reporters James Burger and education reporter Harold Pierce.

 * ... MORE TBC: Meanwhile the newspaper also announced that Cliff Chandler has joined the staff as advertising director. Chandler previously worked at The San Diego Union-Tribune as automotive sales manager. He previously worked at the Santa Clarita Valley Signal and Digital First Media.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of the Garces Circle compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Steve Schilling given a proper sendoff as he heads to retirement, the Wounded Heroes Fund puts on a comedy jam and Rod and Julie Crawford survive the nuclear scare in Hawaii

Monday, January 15, 2018

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 such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com.


 * ... OLD GUARD: There was a big send off for Steve Schilling as the outgoing CEO of Clinica Sierra Vista last week, and it many ways it showcased the changing of the guard in Kern County.

Schilling spent more than 40 years building Clinica into one of the largest providers of healthcare in the West, and over that time he moved adroitly on the political right and left to get what he needed to provide basic health care for the underserved. Among those I spotted at a reception at the downtown Women's Club were former Congressman Bill Thomas, former state senator and supervisor Roy Ashburn, Supervisor Mike Maggard, Mayor Karen Goh, Ben Stinson III, cardiologist Dr. Brij Bhambi, attorney Matt Clark and Schilling's replacement, new Clinica CEO Brian Harris. At one time Schilling, Thomas and Ashburn were at the center of political power in Bakersfield, and it was curious to see them back together for perhaps one of the last times.

 * ... TBC TROIKA: And speaking of the old guard, it was also curious to see so many former Bakersfield Californian big wigs at the reception, all of whom have since left TBC to strike out on their own. (Full disclosure: I too am a former TBC employee). The exodus from our local newspaper of top talent in the past year has been stunning, and it was on full display at the Schilling reception. Among those I spotted were former lifestyles editor Jennifer Self, now a director of advocacy for Clinica, former city editor Christine Bedell, now an alumni affairs director at CSUB, and former columnist Lois Henry, TBC's star editor/reporter who abandoned ship to work with a business advocacy group. And taking their picture? None other than John Hart, formerly one of TBC's talented photographers. Between the four of them, they represented more than 80 years of reporting on Kern County.

 * ... SOUND WALLS: It looks like work has started to build sound walls on the north side of 24th Street as the widening project moves into the construction phase. The sound walls (only on the north side, not the south) go in first followed by a total widening, resurfacing and installation of a landscaped median. The entire project, from Highway 99 to C Street, is expected to take two years. As City Manager Alan Tandy told me: "It will be a mess." Ain't that the truth.

 * ... COMEDY HOUR: Hats off to Julio Torres and the folks over at the Wounded Heroes Fund for a raucous, hilarious and successful comedy night to support the service dog program for combat veterans. Held Saturday night at the  Elks Club near the Garces Circle, the event raised money to train service dogs for veterans suffering from post traumatic issues.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If I got a nuke alert I wouldn't call my family and say goodbye or anything. I'd be here tweeting top quality content for you all, harvesting retweets until the fireball took me."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: A tropical outdoor bar is shown in a picture with this written on a chalkboard: "We have beer as cold as your ex's heart."

 * ... HAWAII: Rod and Julie Crawford, owner of Pyrenees Cafe and the Silver Fox Starlite Lounge, had just arrived in Hawaii for a vacation when the alarm sounded that a nuclear strike was imminent. This Facebook post from Julie says it all:  "Just want to say I LOVE YOU to all my friends and family today. I didn’t realize how sweet life is till I thought it was gone. Huddling between the beds holding our six year old baby girl between us kissing each other good bye was the real deal. I’ve never been so scared or more thankful all at the same time. I was not happy to die but glad we were all together as a family. Ok so now back to the vacation in beautiful Hawaii."

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and former Rep. Bill Thomas go different ways on the Bakersfield mayor's race, and the hit group HoneyHoney appears Friday at Temblor Brewing Co.

 * ... POLITICS: One of the curious sideshows in this year's election is the split between House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and his old boss, former Rep. Bill Thomas, on the Bakersfield

mayor's race. McCarthy has endorsed Karen Goh while Thomas has thrown his reputation and influence behind former homebuilder Kyle Carter. Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall when McCarthy and Thomas are discussing the Goh-Carter showdown and why they ended up in different camps?

* ... TRASH: Sometimes when I am out and about I torture myself by making mental notes of the various kinds of trash I see about our community. We are a community of litterers, but this goes beyond the fast food cups and paper bags you see everywhere. Among the items I spotted this week: an old washing machine, a discarded copier, a broken and rusted baby stroller, tires, roof shingles, diapers and of course the ubiquitous soiled mattress and box spring.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My eyes are just fine... It's my life that's out of focus."

 * ... LIVE MUSIC: When was the last night you got out of your comfort zone and enjoyed some live music in town? Tonight (Friday) at 6:30 p.m. a dynamic duo called HoneyHoney will appear at Temblor Brewing Co. Trust me on this: the music of singer and violinist Suzanne Santo and vocalist and guitarist Ben Jaffe will leave you tapping your toes with a smile on your face. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at the door.

 * ... OUR TOWN: Pat Chandler had visitors in town recently and had this to say: "Just had company come in for a flying visit from London, via San Francisco and Napa. They are pretty sophisticated world travelers, plus being vegetarians. What to do with them? I put them up at the Padre Hotel and took them to dinner at Valentien. Not only were they delighted, but also impressed. Nice one Bakersfield!"

 * ... CHANGES: Hal Bopp read my post on the closing of Orchard Supply Hardware and added this: "Things don't change, do they? I was just as sad to see Vons close its store in the same building on Ming and Ashe back in 1991 (plus or minus).  When we moved into our Courtside at Laurelglen condo in 1990, we were happy to have a grocery store right across the street that we could walk to.  Then, the Marketplace opened just down the street with a more ginormous Vons Super Market. Vons' first statement was that they had not made a decision on the Ming and Ashe store. When they announced that it was closing no more than about three weeks later, it was pretty clear they knew all along."

 * ... GOOD FORM: And finally, Shirley Rowles shared this surprise she experienced recently.
"My oldest, dearest art friends, Coral and Nancy, had arranged an 85th birthday lunch for me at the Red Pepper.  We had a great visit with a lot of laughs. When we were ready to leave we were informed that a lovely lady at a nearby table had paid for our birthday lunches when she left. It was a delightful surprise and we all plan to pay it forward."

Bakersfield College President Sonya Christian receives a warm welcome, Pyrenees Cafe and Saloon keeps knocking it out of the park and Patrick Duffy shows up at The Padre Hotel

* ... SONYA: Bakersfield College President Sonya Christian may be locked in a dispute over extending her contract, but you wouldn't know that when she appeared Thursday at the downtown

Rotary Club. Christian received a standing ovation when she was introduced as the speaker, and her appearance drew an overflow crowd at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Her popularity among BC faculty and students and in the business community is impressive, and no doubt this does not go unnoticed by the Kern Community College District's board of trustees and Chancellor Sandra Serrano. Among the non club members who showed up for lunch were former Congressman (and former Bakersfield College professor) Bill Thomas (a big Christian supporter), Supervisor Leticia Perez and Michael Turnipseed, head of the watchdog group Kern Tax.

* ... PYRENEES: One of our community's amazing success stories is happening over at The Pyrenees Cafe and Saloon, where co-owners Rod and Julie Crawford took a dated brand, gave it a smart makeover that retained the building's historic character, and created one of the hottest Basque restaurant venues in town. Pyrenees was one of the eateries featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Rod told me his appearance on the Food Network program is still driving business. "I had people in from Long Beach who had seen it on the show and were checking it out," he told me the other day. Business, meanwhile, is booming and the Crawfords have plans for even more improvements.

* ... SPOTTED: I ran into the actor Patrick Duffy at The Padre Hotel the other day. He is in town working on a movie that will also star actress Ann Archer. Duffy is best known for his role as Bobby Ewing in the 1980s CBS soap opera hit "Dallas." When I spotted him, he was sitting in the Padre bar calmly working on a newspaper puzzle.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "To whoever finds the $20 I dropped: spend it on alcohol. It’s what I would have wanted."

* ... IMMIGRATION: With all the talk about immigration reform, reader Sam Rodriquez offered these thoughts: "My wife and I were traveling to Arroyo Grande this last Friday.  I observed on Highway 166 close to Cuyama all of the Mexican field workers either hunched over or on their hands and knees working their tails to provide us with whatever they were picking. Then from Arroyo Grande we took Highway 1 to Pismo Beach and there again there they were Mexicans working their behinds off.  I realize that we need to something about illegal immigration but when you hear the likes of Donald Trump and all of the closet racists coming out of the wood work it makes me very sad. My parents (legal Americans of Mexican decent) came out of the fields.
You can go into any ghetto in Bakersfield and its surrounding communities any day of the week or any time of day and all ethnicities are represented... What is the answer I don’t know? But when you see a family of Mexicans at Wal-Mart, Sears, or the grocery store on any given Sunday be humble and maybe even say thank you."

 * ... HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Are you ready for some high school football? If so, did you know that The Bakersfield Californian will livestream high school football games for a third consecutive year? And this year it is partnering with ESPN Bakersfield 1230 AM to bring a game of the week to digital and radio audiences. The BVarsity Live Game Night and Game of the Week debuts Friday at 7 p.m. on bakersfield.com and on ESPN Bakersfield 1230 AM. Longtime local sports personality Vance Palm will host a live pregame show from The Bakersfield Californian's studios and Zach Ewing, sports editor of The Californian, and Justin Roberts will call the action from a game each week. Palm will also provide updates throughout the night from many BVarsity correspondents covering games around Kern County.

Former House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Thomas: I wouldn't know how to operate in such a toxic environment that exists in Congress these days

* ... THOMAS: Bill Thomas served in the House of Representatives for 28 years and left widely regarded as an expert in tax policy and health care. As chairman of the House Ways and Means

Committee, he was instrumental in influencing some of the biggest pieces of legislation that passed in the Clinton presidency. His view of the mess in Washington now? "I wouldn't know how to operate" in that toxic of an environment, he said, referring to the stalemate and  extreme views on both sides of the aisle. Truth is, Thomas just might bring an adult influence were he to return to Washington, but his statement is indicative of the frustration we all have with the inability of our elective representatives to compromise. He also called the Republican strategy of trying to defund the Affordable Care Act a mistake. The ACA is so flawed, he said, the Republicans should have simply allowed it to roll out so Americans could view the mess it is and blame the appropriate party.

 * ... MERGER: Two locally owned and high powered engineering firms are merging effective Nov. 3. Innovative Engineering Systems, Inc., founded here in 2002, is merging with Technical Services and Management, Inc., a local company that was founded here in 2008. David Wolfer, president of IES, will remain president of the combined entity. "Combining the expertise and knowledge of both companies will be very valuable to us and to our clients," he said.

 * ...GRAFTON: The latest book by novelist Sue Grafton spends a lot of time in Bakersfield. Called "W is for Wasted" the novel is the twenty-third entry in the long-running Kinsey Millhone series. In it, she talks about visiting Bakersfield, Beale Park, driving along Truxtun and the Central Valley.

* ... NAVY: From Navy veteran and submariner Gene Bonas comes this: "Thought you'd like to know that our United States Navy is celebrating its 238 years of service to our country. It was 1775 when early American leaders foresaw the importance of a fighting force at sea.  On October 13, George Washington commissioned a small fleet to intercept British supply ships off the coast of Massachusetts. The Continental Congress approved two additional armed vessels, and the U.S. Navy was born.
For 238 years since, the Navy has excelled at its mission of winning wars, deterring aggression and maintaining freedom of the seas."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A woman is talking about being stuck in the Sears elevator last week along with 100-year-old Connie Narez. "I asked her if this was ever on her bucket list," the woman said. "She was just fine and I think I was more worried than her!"

 * ... COOKOUT:  The Taft College Foundation is putting on its annual Alumni and Friends Cougar Ribeye Cookout to salute veterans and soldiers this Thursday. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and children. You can buy them by calling (661) 763-7700. The following day, on Friday, the West Kern Petroleum Summit will be held on the Taft College campus.

Former House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Thomas to appear on First Look to talk what is going on in Washington, and Bakersfield rallies around the St. Vincent de Paul homeless center

* ... THOMAS: The ongoing stalemate in Washington that has shut down the government has left the country dismayed and plunged the popularity of Congress to an all-time low. What got us to the point, and why has Congress seemingly lost the ability to cooperate to get things done? Those are some of the questions I will be addressing with former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas when he appears as my guest on First Look with Scott Cox. The show will air at 9 a.m. Tuesday on KERN NewsTalk 1180 and will be broadcast live on bakersfield.com.

 * ... HOMELESS: Bakersfield loves to rally around a good cause, and last week it was the St. Vincent de Paul homeless center that benefitted from our community's generosity. More than 800 people showed up last Thursday to dine on Gary Icardo-cooked steaks to raise money for the Baker Street center, a turnout that came as a pleasant surprise to event chairwoman Deborah Leary. "It was a perfect night and we were all thrilled," she said. The center serves breakfast and lunch for the homeless, as well as providing showers and other essentials.

 * ... BIRTHDAY: Hank Pfister, longtime tennis pro at Stockdale Country Club, celebrated his 60 birthday this weekend in typical Pfister style. He convinced a group of 32 cyclists to ride into the Sequoias for a grueling, 106-mile ride. In exchange for his family providing food at rest stops, each rider wrote checks to support Links for Life.

* ... GIRLS' FUND: If you run a nonprofit and your focus is on educating local women and girls, The Women's and Girls' Fund is planning a new round of funding in 2014 for the right programs. The fund is a leadership initiative of the Kern Community Foundation and expects to award at least $25,000 to local nonprofit charitable organizations in 2014. The focus should be on literacy, educational attainment, dropout prevention, high school graduation, college prep or job skills training. The deadline for applications is Nov. 6. For more information go to www.kernfoundation.org.

 * ... CSUB: Make sure to mark your calendar for this Thursday, October 17, when Cal State Bakersfield will put on a tri tip fund raiser for the men's soccer team. The event will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lengthwise Brewing Company on Schirra Court. Former House Ways and Means Committee chairman Bill Thomas will help run a live auction to support the college soccer program.

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Reader Marsha Wiswall says you may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the drug stores run by Jules Reufener, who she described as "a most kind and unselfish man." She said Ruefener owned the drug store on the southeast corner of Baker and Sumner streets and also the one inside the Green Frog on Alta Vista. (He later had stores in Arvin, Lamont and Fresno.) "Each Halloween Jules was as happy as the revelers as he handed out Fleer double wrapped bubble gum. Inside were coveted cartoon strips. We would have contests who could blow the biggest bubbles."

Former Congressman Bill Thomas rips into the Leticia Perez campaign, saying it is built on lies and distortions. Will going negative backfire on the Perez camp?

 * ... PEREZ: Former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas pulled no punches recently in giving his view of Leticia Perez, who is locked in a pitched battle for the 16th Senate District race against  Hanford cherry farmer Andy Vidak. Thomas characterized the Perez campaign as a shameful attempt to smear Vidak through half truths and distortions, and he called the July 23 16th Senate runoff one of the most important of the year. It may have been wishful thinking, but Thomas speculated that Perez's focus on character assassination could backfire because the relentless negative campaigning is turning off some Democrats and more middle of the road voters. Thomas made his remarks on First Look with Scott Cox. Perez campaign manager Trent Hager responded by saying "the thirsty Los Angeles-based real estate special interests are the ones who started the runoff with nasty, negative and personal campaign attacks against Leticia. The only reason these special interest players would be spending upwards of $1 million in a negative campaign trying to tear Leticia down is because they are after one thing, the Valley's water. And they know, based on Andy's prior track record of never voting to deliver water to the Valley, he is just their guy." The gloves are clearly off in this campaign.

 * ... IMMIGRATION: And speaking of former congressman Thomas, he was complimentary of the comprehensive immigration reform passed in the Senate, noting that four of the five Central Valley congressmen (Reps. Jeff Denham, Jim Costa, David Valadao and Devin Nunes) have spoken in favor of reform. The one who is coldest to the Senate plan seems to be Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Majority Whip. Instead, McCarthy has been adhering to the Republican line that the House will come up with its own package. As Thomas said: the best way to kill legislation is to say the Senate reform bill simply isn't good enough.

 * ... HEAT: If you think it is hot here when the temperature hits 109, remember that it was 127 in Death Valley and 113 in Las Vegas this week.

 * ... FREEDOM: Thanks to my regular contributor Gene Bonas for this thought in honor of July Fourth: "Depending on which source is used, World War II veterans are dying at a rate of a thousand to fifteen hundred each day.... (including)  submarine veterans, who gave everything for the freedoms we enjoy today. The month of June during Word War II was a bad month for sub losses. Seven submarines and 402 men were lost. The month of July was not as bad: Three submarines and 204 men were lost. It's interesting to note that from 1900 to the present day, a total of 65 United States Navy submarines have been lost.  Of those 65, 52 subs and a total of 3,889 men were lost during World War II. "

 * ... ACHIEVER: Kudos to Julianne Toler-Schmidt, a local girl who is headed to the University of Georgia as an assistant professor. Julianne went to Bakersfield Christian High and later to Point Loma University. After that she earned her master's and doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Said her proud father, retired Bakersfield city battalion chief Larry Toler,  "She's going from being a 'Tar Heel' to being a "Bulldog" or in my mind a Georgia Peach." Her mother, Marilyn, is a retired reading specialist with the Norris School District.

Former House and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas to appear on First Look with Scott Cox on Monday at 9 a.m., and more dirty diapers left in the scorching sun

 * ... ENERGY: Did you know that more than 70 percent of the oil and gas produced in California comes from the fields of Kern County? Taken alone, Kern County produces 10 percent of all the oil and gas produced in the country. Yet, the state still imports half of its gas and oil annually, a fact that Rep. Kevin McCarthy is blaming on overbearing and restrictive regulations. McCarthy called this "unfathomable" particularly in view of the untapped reserves located in the Monterey Shale.

 * ... THOMAS: Make sure you tune into First Look with Scott Scott Monday at 9 a.m. when our guest will be Bill Thomas, former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Opinion page editor Bob Price will get his thoughts on a variety of issues, from national topics like immigration reform to local news like the stink in the southwest over a homeowner boarding up an entrance to his cul-de-sac. Tune in at 9 a.m. at KERN Newstalk 1180 or watch it live on bakersfield.com

 * ... GOOD DEED: Here's a nice note from Gail Romley over at Curves. It turns out that one of the members at Curves in Dawn Baumgarten, who owns Log Cabin Florist. She lost a valuable and sentimental ring at the club and was thrilled that it was turned in. "She was so thankful that it was turned in that she brought in 125 long stemmed roses for all the members to show her appreciation for getting it back. Some may remember that Log Cabin Florist has given out free roses for Good Neighbor Day in the past. You could go in, get a free dozen but you had to give them to others. What a neat way to put a smile on someone's face! I was the recipient of one of the roses in the past, and it was a member here at Curves."

 * ... BAD FORM: Shame on the mother who changed her baby's diaper in the back seat of her black GMC SUV and then casually left it in the parking lot of the Target on Rosedale Highway Saturday afternoon when the temperature hovered around 104.

 * ... MEMORIES: Local attorney William R. Go read an earlier blog post about the 1960s band Strawberry Alarm Clock playing at the Golden State Lanes and added this: "It was the summer of 1967 and I was in a band that played before they performed. If I recall we were paid $60 (the entire band) for our performance. Also performing around this time at the same venue was a group called 'Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band' whose hit was 'DIDDY WAH DIDDY.' The Golden State Lanes also had a restaurant called the 'Hoffbrau' which was briefly popular."

* ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you ever went out to Meadows Field and skated the landing strip with your roller skates until workers drove you off. After being chased off, Rocky Robins said his crew would run over to Stan's Drive-in on Union for a burger.

Former Congressman Bill Thomas endorses Roy Ashburn for 1st District, Kern County supervisor

 It was a big day for former state Sen. Roy Ashburn, who is now running to represent the 1st District on the Kern County Board of Supervisors. Ashburn picked up the endorsement of former Congressman Bill Thomas, who split with longtime political consultant Mark Abernathy. Abernathy is running the campaign of Ashburn's opponent, Mick Gleason.
 Former city councilman Mark Salvaggio put it this way in an email blast: "This bipartisan group of endorsements is unprecedented in Kern County politics.  They speak well of Roy Ashburn's experience, abilities, and independent streak.  Ashburn now has a big political leg up in this important race...  He is combing the 1st District with great passion in seeking the support of the good people in Shafter, Delano, Kern River Valley, Oildale, Ridgecrest, Inyokern, and parts of Bakersfield.  His opponent, Mick Gleason, is seen as little more than a clone of Abernathy.

"The message is clear: these endorsements also signify the public being 'fed up' of another Mark Abernathy power grab.  People want their representatives to be accountable to the people instead of being controlled by a slick political operative who has never been elected to office himself.  Abernathy has been the subject of numerous controversies over the past 30 years in Kern County. His campaigns have been often characterized by taking the low road with twisted facts and half truths."