Rep. Kevin McCarthy says Trump will remain a player in GOP politics, we have another run on toilet paper at local stores and abuse cases at the Boy Scouts near 100,000

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:  Donald Trump may have lost the election but Congressman Kevin McCarthy is earning applause after the Republicans picked up eight to 10 seats in the House of

Representatives,  almost all of them women, minorities or veterans. In an interview with The New York Times, McCarthy said he was most proud of "the growth of the party... that is going to be more diverse than it ever was." He also said he expected Trump to remain active in the Republican Party. "If at the end of the day he does not win the presidency, he will still be a player and he'll still have a base. And if you sit back, if Trump was not on the ticket, would we have won seats this year? He brought turnout."

* ... TOILET PAPER: Don't say I never warned you. A week ago I reported here there would be a run on toilet paper and paper towels, and sure enough it has happened. Store shelves across Bakersfield are empty as folks stock up on paper good anticipating more time at home and possibly a state ordered lock down.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Someone toilet papered my house last night and it is now worth $875,000."

 * ... BOY SCOUTS: Did you hear that more than 92,000 men have come forward to file sexual abuse clads against the Boy Scouts, a staggering number of claims that attorneys say is reflective of decades of assaults by scout leaders across the nation? To give you an idea of the scale of this scandal, lawyers say the number of abuse claims top the number of cases in the Catholic Church, which itself has been dealing with a long sordid history of wayward priests preying on young men and women. Attorneys say there have been abuse cases involving scouts in all 50 states as well as at military bases in Japan and Germany. Let that sink in for a minute.

 * ... WOMEN: I ran across this old picture posted by David Dyas with this caption: "Left to right, Ortencia Miranda and Francisca Ruiz Garcia, of Bakersfield.  Francisca married Benigno Garcia at the San Diego Mission in 1873.  She married Manuel Martinez in 1888 at St Francis Church. Ortencia married Joe Garcia, Francisca's son.  From the Rachel Arias Collection Kern County California Mexican Family Photos.

 * ...  BAD FORM: So how did it leave you feeling when you learned Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife flaunted his own rules by dining at the uber upscale French Laundry restaurant when he is telling the rest of us to stay home and away from crowds. That's right, Newsom was accompanied by his wife Jennifer Seibel Newsom and about 12 other people when they dined at the upscale eatery to celebrate the birthday of his longtime friend, lobbyist Jason Kinney. They were inside and dining without masks, the two things our governor is advising all of us to avoid. After the dinner was made public, Newsom apologized and said he could have exhibited better judgment. Ya think? (file photos of the Newsoms and The French Laundry)

 * ... MEMORIES: How many of you bought bicycles here as a child at Vincent's Cyclery on 18th Street across from the Padre Hotel? Check out this photo of the old Vincents. Thanks to the Facebook page Kern County History Fans for this nugget.

 * ... MEMORIES: Here are a couple of interesting shots of Lebec back in the day.

The three-way race in the 4th District on the Board of Supervisors heats up, Couch fends off attacks on the "English only" charge and the Boy Scouts prepare to honor Monsignor Craig Harrison

Friday, August 10, 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. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... 4th DISTRICT: Is it possible to get elected to county office here when you criticize the oil and gas industry? We will test that thesis in November when voters decide whether to re-elect David

Couch as 4th District supervisor or opt for one of his two challengers, Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo or Lamont Chamber president Jose Gonzalez. Gonzalez, for one, has been harshly critical of the oil and gas industry and took to the podium during a public hearing in Arvin to trash fossil fuels. For her part, Vallejo warned against "biting the hand that feeds you" and has taken a more balanced approach to the industry that provides so many local jobs. Couch of course is a strong supporter of the local fossil fuel production.

 * ... ENGLISH ONLY: In Couch's bid for reelection he is battling the perception that he is hostile to Latinos, a position being advanced by Vallejo supporter Dolores Huerta, among others. It all stems from the time Couch served on the Bakersfield City Council and supported the idea of declaring English has the official language of the city. But if you listen to his detractors, Couch was proposing "English only" in the city of Bakersfield, which Couch said was not only wrong and misleading but highly inflammatory. "I never supported English only," he told me. "I think it's great if people speak two, three or four different languages." This being politics, you can expect this charge to be repeated by Couch's opponents. As Couch himself said: "It's going to be a food fight."

 * ... HOMELESS: The number of people suffering from "homeless fatigue," an apparent lack of sympathy for those who roam our streets, is on the rise. And it doesn't help when a homeless encampment pops up in a park in Oildale where folks are sleeping under the plastic slides and swing sets.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My friend is studying to be a librarian so I've decided to study to become a blacksmith."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "If I owned a diner I’d have a sandwich called 'The Usual' so everyone would feel special."

 * ... MONSIGNOR CRAIG: Monsignor Craig Harrison is being honored by the local chapter of the Boy Scouts, the Southern Sierra Council, at its Distinguished Citizens Dinner next month.
The Boy Scouts of America-the Southern Sierra Council will honor Harrison at the Sept. 7 dinner and reception t Luigi's. Proceeds from the event will benefit scouting programs, such as the community Scoutreach Project that brings scouting to underserved areas through Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and STEM Scout programs in partnership with local schools, churches, and law enforcement. Contact (661) 325-9036 for tickets.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy this old photo at the corner of Dale Drive and Roberts Lane.

If it's fall, you can bet it is the non profit event season in town, Uricchio's rolls out some speciality menu items and a little history of the Boy Scout booth at the Kern County Fair

 * ... FUND RAISING: If it is fall in Bakersfield you can bet there will be a major fund raiser somewhere across town every weekend. This past weekend there were two: the huge Garces BBQ,

held at the high school under near perfect fall weather conditions, and the 14th annual Larry Carr Memorial Golf Event with a dinner/auction at Bakersfield Country Club. The tireless Tracy Kiser and Rogers Brandon chaired this event along with auction coordinator Lynn Joseph, raising more than $250,000 for the Lauren Small Children’s Center at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. The 280 dinner guests included BMH President Jon Van Boening and his wife Phillis, Kari and Steve Anderson, Beverly and Jim Camp, Janie and Kable Munger, David Munger, Tuesdy and Kevin Small and Susie and Ken Small, among others. I attended the Garces BBQ (Jenny Waugespack put this beast together) and caught up with an eclectic mix of Bakersfield characters: Monsignors Michael Braun and Craig Harrison, Ray Mish, Superior Court Judge Gary Friedman, Dr. Chris Hamilton and wife Susan, Shawna Haddad and her father Angelo and his wife Nancy, Oscar and Paula Baltazar, Dr. Javier Bustamante and wife Laurie, Mission Bank's Samy Abiaoui and Lisa Boydstun and Tom Anspach.

 * ... FOODIE: Looking for a new menu item for the cooler days to come? Check out the linguini with shrimp or the angel hair pasta primavera at Uricchio's Trattoria, two off the menu specials offered for the next two weeks.

 * ... OAK STREET: Is there a worst traffic choke point in town than the intersection of Oak and Truxtun from 3:30 p.m. on?

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I'm in a long distance relationship. Sure, some people refer to it as a restraining order, but still."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TRUXTUN: A white Toyota Solara convertible is cruising down Truxtun going too slow for traffic and weaving while its driver stares into her cell phone and happily texts.

 * ... STARBUCKS: Remember when I told you that a barista at my local Starbucks was already well into her Christmas shopping? Well she told me the other day she is done, and it isn't even October. Talk about an over achiever.

 * ... FAIR: Did you know the history of the Boy Scout baked potato booth at the fair? Jim Houck does, and he passed along this interesting bit of history: "It started in about 1953 as a project of Troop 8, which met at Horace Mann School on Niles Street. The scoutmaster was a great guy named L.L. Carpenter, known as Slim. The troop was sponsored by the Kern County Potato Growers Association. Urner's lent us ovens, my dad, who worked for Meadow Gold Dairies, got us butter and sour cream, and of course the Potato Growers gave us huge sacks of White Rose potatoes, a great Kern County variety that baked beautifully but is hard to find nowadays, unfortunately.n In those days Scout equipment usually came from the war surplus stores that sold beat-up pup tents, canteens, mess kits, folding shovels and knapsacks. This stuff was cheap but very heavy.n After our first year we'd made enough money to ditch our bulky canvas tents and replace them with big, light ones. Not sure what happened to Troop 8, but I saw someplace that the baked potato booth has been taken over by the local scout council. The wealth spreads."

If it's fall, you can bet it is the non profit event season in town, Uricchio's rolls out some speciality menu items and a little history of the Boy Scout booth at the Kern County Fair

 * ... FUND RAISING: If it is fall in Bakersfield you can bet there will be a major fund raiser somewhere across town every weekend. This past weekend there were two: the huge Garces BBQ,

held at the high school under near perfect fall weather conditions, and the 14th annual Larry Carr Memorial Golf Event with a dinner/auction at Bakersfield Country Club. The tireless Tracy Kiser and Rogers Brandon chaired this event along with auction coordinator Lynn Joseph, raising more than $250,000 for the Lauren Small Children’s Center at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. The 280 dinner guests included BMH President Jon Van Boening and his wife Phillis, Kari and Steve Anderson, Beverly and Jim Camp, Janie and Kable Munger, David Munger, Tuesdy and Kevin Small and Susie and Ken Small, among others. I attended the Garces BBQ (Jenny Waugespack put this beast together) and caught up with an eclectic mix of Bakersfield characters: Monsignors Michael Braun and Craig Harrison, Ray Mish, Superior Court Judge Gary Friedman, Dr. Chris Hamilton and wife Susan, Shawna Haddad and her father Angelo and his wife Nancy, Oscar and Paula Baltazar, Dr. Javier Bustamante and wife Laurie and Tom Anspach.

 * ... FOODIE: Looking for a new menu item for the cooler days to come? Check out the linguini with shrimp or the angel hair pasta primavera at Uricchio's Trattoria, two off the menu specials offered for the next two weeks.

 * ... OAK STREET: Is there a worst traffic choke point in town than the intersection of Oak and Truxtun from 3:30 p.m. on?

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I'm in a long distance relationship. Sure, some people refer to it as a restraining order, but still."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TRUXTUN: A white Toyota Solara convertible is cruising down Truxtun going too slow for traffic and weaving while its driver stares into her cell phone and happily texts.

 * ... STARBUCKS: Remember when I told you that a barista at my local Starbucks was already well into her Christmas shopping? Well she told me the other day she is done, and it isn't even October. Talk about an over achiever.

 * ... FAIR: Did you know the history of the Boy Scout baked potato booth at the fair? Jim Houck does, and he passed along this interesting bit of history: "It started in about 1953 as a project of Troop 8, which met at Horace Mann School on Niles Street. The scoutmaster was a great guy named L.L. Carpenter, known as Slim. The troop was sponsored by the Kern County Potato Growers Association. Urner's lent us ovens, my dad, who worked for Meadow Gold Dairies, got us butter and sour cream, and of course the Potato Growers gave us huge sacks of White Rose potatoes, a great Kern County variety that baked beautifully but is hard to find nowadays, unfortunately.n In those days Scout equipment usually came from the war surplus stores that sold beat-up pup tents, canteens, mess kits, folding shovels and knapsacks. This stuff was cheap but very heavy.n After our first year we'd made enough money to ditch our bulky canvas tents and replace them with big, light ones. Not sure what happened to Troop 8, but I saw someplace that the baked potato booth has been taken over by the local scout council. The wealth spreads."

Sarah Lawrence College tops the list of the most expensive schools in the country, and Terry Maxwell joins me on Californian Radio KERN 1180 to talk about the City Council race

 * ... COLLEGE COSTS: A stunning new study has identified the most expensive colleges in the nation. Ready for some sticker shock? Topping the list is Sarah Lawrence College in New York, which offers an annual tuition of $61,236. That's right, some $250,000 for four years and that doesn't include money for pizza, books, travel home, clothes and other things. Rounding out the top five were New York University at $59,837, Harvey Mudd College at $58,913, Columbia University at $58,742 and Wesleyan University at $58,202.

 * ... MAXWELL: Terry Maxwell is a well know restaurateur and long-time local businessman who is running for the Ward 2 City Council seat being vacated by Sue Benham. He has picked up some impressive endorsements, and Monday he will be my guest on Californian Radio KERN 1180 at 9 a.m. Tune in to hear Terry talk about his vision for our city and his views on the proposed 24th Street widening project.

* ... CALM: A couple updates on what is happening at the California Living Museum (CALM), compliments of Steve Sanders of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Next month will feature an exhibit of desert Bighorn Sheep, a partnership with the San Diego and Los Angeles zoos, and CALM's first cooperative breeding program. "Also on Nov. 10 CALM will be the recipient of a Kaboom! Playground in partnership with PGE.  Some 200 volunteers will build a playground in just one day. Last month over 25 kids helped design their dream playground at CALM and many of their ideas will be incorporated."

 * ... MILESTONES: Stinson's Stationers is celebrating 65 years in business this week. In a time when so many businesses have struggled to remain solvent, it's good to see a locally owned business flourishing by putting customers first.

 * ... OVERHEARD: During the Kern Wheelmen Spooktacular bicycle century Saturday a trim 62-year-old is sharing his fitness regimen with a group of riders. "Every day after I void my bladder in the morning - and I mean every day - I flush and then immediately jump on the bathroom floor and do as many push ups as I can before the water fills the toilet tank. I am aiming for 50 but yesterday I did 46. Sometimes I finish and I find the cat looking at me like I am insane." Really?

 * ... NICKELODEON: A local teenager has been chosen to appear on an upcoming episode of Nickelodeon when kids get a chance to as President Obama questions. Fernando Perez, a 15-year-old sophomore at Foothill High, will be among the students who will be posing questions on Linda Ellerbee's special, 'Kids Pick the President: The Candidates.' Fernando is the nephew of Connie Perez, an audit partner at Brown Armstrong who works out of the firm's Pasadena office.

 * ... FUND RAISER: The Boy Scouts Southern Sierra Council have come up with one of the more innovative ways to raise money. On Saturday, October 27, people will be rappelling down the tallest building in town (Stockdale Tower) to raise money. That's right, actually rappelling down the side of the building. Each participant has to raise $1,000 for the Boy Scouts, be at least 14 years old and weigh between 110 and 300 pounds. It's called Over the Edge and if you are interested, call (661) 325-9036.