Friday's Bakersfield Observed: The "1800" restaurant opens on Chester Avenue, CBD oil is now marketed for dogs and horses, Holly Arnold joins the Bakersfield Symphony and the end of an era for Amestoy's

Friday, May 10, 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 such a special to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

* ... 1800 RESTAURANT: One of the most hotly anticipated eateries has opened in a classic downtown renovated bank building on Chester Avenue. Called the The 18Hundred" after its address at the

corner of 18th Street and Chester, it opened this week to big crowds. It is a beautiful place but suffered from spotty service its first week. Still, the place is certain to join the growing ranks of locally owned eateries that cater to a eager downtown crowd. The owners are Maya and Foti Tsiboukas, who own at least one other restaurant in town.

 * ... WEEKEND: If you can't find something to do this weekend, you aren't looking hard enough. Consider these events this weekend: The Bakersfield Symphony has a big show Saturday, Big House plays at the Fox Theater, the Merle Haggard Boxcar festival will be on, don't forget the Pyle's Boys Camp barbecue, there is the Lightning in a Bottle music festival at Lake Buena Vista and on top of all that, the Condors may be playing at Rabobank Arena.

* ... CBD OIL: CBD oil, now legal across the country, is well known for its medicinal benefits in humans, providing relief from everything from nausea to insomnia to arthritis. But the popular cannabinoid is now being marketed for animals, specifically dogs and cats that may suffer from arthritis or other ailments. There is CBD oil for horses as well, marketed by B-Well Chiropractic over off Meany Avenue, and CBD-infused dog biscuits and treats are available at the CBD Shoppe on F Street.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD SYMPHONY: Congratulations to Holly Arnold, who has been appointed executive director of the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. Arnold previously worked as head of marketing for Hall Ambulance and prior to that served as head of the local Red Cross office.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Being an adult just means you don't get rewarded anymore when you eat all your food. My nephew ate two chicken fingers and got rewarded with ice cream. I ate 5 and my mom said 'I thought you were on a diet?'"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You know what’s more annoying than cops? People who buy old refurbished cop cars and keep the spotlight attached. We all hate you."

 * ... AMESTOY'S: Amestoy's is going out of business and with it goes the iconic sign. Former employee Jessica Lessaos took these pictures and posted them on Facebook. The end of an era.

 * ... MEMORIES: This old advertisement from our local newspaper, circa 1942, appeared on the Facebook Kern County of Old page. Enjoy.

The decline in print and newspapers accelerates, Facebook helps a bike rider chase down a homeless man who stole it, and just what is it about CBD oil that makes people believe it is a miracle cure all?

Monday May 6, 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 such a special to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... RIP PRINT: It's not exactly news that newspapers are in trouble, but the rate at which they are going out of business might surprise you. According to The Wall Street Journal, local papers have suffered sharper declines in circulation and (more importantly) advertising than the few more successful national models like The New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. Nearly 1,800 newspapers closed between 2004 and 2018, "leaving 200 counties with no newspaper and roughly half the counties in the country with one one." One expert, Harvard's Nicco Male, said it more bluntly: "It's hard to see a future where newspapers persist," he said, adding that half of the

surviving papers will be gone within two years.

 * ... STOLEN BIKE: With homelessness and theft on the rise, it is no surprise that bicycles are disappearing across town. But once in a while, as in the case of Peter Wolleson, the good guys win. After Wolleson's beloved Specialized cross bike was stolen out of his car a short time back, he took to Facebook to post pictures hoping someone would see it on the street. And lo and behold, someone did. Said Wolleson:  "Thursday afternoon a friend and fellow cyclist contacted me and asked me to send him a photo of my bike. I assumed that he was going to post it to his Facebook or something in an effort to help me find the bike. He texted right back to tell me that he had just seen a homeless person riding my bike near California and Oak Street. He couldn’t give me a very clear location but said that he appeared to be headed toward a homeless camp behind the motels that back up against the freeway." Wolleson drove over there, and after some searching happened on a homeless encampment where he found his bike, battered but basically okay. "Sure enough, as I approached the shelter I saw my bike lying in the dirt under a cover! I started recording video in case the police needed evidence for my homicide investigation (I had no idea how many people might be in there). As I grabbed the bike, a homeless guy crawled out of the shelter and tried to resist. I indicated to the gentleman that I was there to reacquire my bike, and that if he’d like to debate the matter, I would gladly contact the local authorities to act as mediator. He indicated that this would not be necessary. As he continued to exit his residence, I suggested that he remain at his current location for his own comfort and safety." The wheels are trashed and other items were missing, but I count this as a win for the good guys.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Once you get past my charm, good looks, intelligence and my sense of humor, I think it’s my modesty that stands out."

 * ... CBD OIL: An woman in her 80s with such severe arthritis she can barely use her hands swears that CBD oil has virtually restored her health. A young man with a psoriasis-like skin condition says it  is the only ointment that has cleared his skin. And yet another adults uses CBD oil battle debilitating headaches. Extracted from hemp but without the active "stoner" ingredient in marijuana, CBD oil has taken the nation by storm. But there are few official studies of it and most testimonials have been anecdotal. So where is the truth. On Wednesday I will sit down with CBD experts on The Richard Beene Show at 1:30 p.m.  (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) to get to the truth. Tune in. This should be educational.

 * ... MEMORIES: And check out this old postcard of the oilfields.

No Uber or Lyft service at Meadows Field in Bakersfield, Greenacres Park unveils eight new pickle ball courts and more on the medicinal benefits of CBD oil made from hemp and marijuana

Monday, July 9, 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. 

 * ... MEADOWS FIELD: Flying out of Bakersfield is tough enough these days: very few airlines serve us, the flights are ridiculously expensive and to get anywhere you have to fly through Phoenix. But thanks to our wise local leaders, you can't even use Uber to get a ride to or from the airport.

Why? Because two local cab  companies (and don't get me started on our inefficient, chronically tardy Third World local cabbies and their run-down cabs) have an exclusive franchise to serve the airport. And how ridiculous is that? Is it any wonder that some folks make the half mile walk from the terminal to Merle Haggard Drive, luggage in tow, so they can connect with Uber? This is not a nationwide problem as The Californian called it; I cannot name a major airport in the country that does not allow Uber or Lyft to service their airports. Wake up Bakersfield, we can do better.

 * ... CBD OIL: Cannabidiol oil is an extract from the hemp plant, and legions of people across the world swear by its medicinal value. The Food and Drug Administration last week approved the first CBD oil based medicine to treat epilepsy, but CBD fans claim it can help alleviate aches and pains, anxiety, reduce inflammation and even help with nicotine craving. CBD oil is safe and legal, yet some people avoid it because it can also be produced from the marijuana plant. (Note CBD oil does not trigger a "high" like marijuana). There is one CBD oil shop in Bakersfield, on F Street near KC's Steakhouse, and owner Ted Sisco will appear with me on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM to talk about its benefits. Don't miss this important show airing at 1:30 p.m. this Tuesday, July 10.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Licking someone's face is a quick and 100 percent foolproof way of ending a conversation."

 * ... PICKLEBALL: If you haven't heard of pickle ball, the fastest growing sport in America, you will soon. A combination of tennis and ping pong played on a smaller court using a wiffle ball, the sport has exploded in Kern County, and now there are eight new pickle ball courts available for play at Greenacres Park thanks to the North of the River Parks and Recreation District. New courts are going in at Seven Oaks and Stockdale Country Club, and the members only Bakersfield Racquet Club also has four dedicated courts.

 * ... MEMORIES: So who remembers a gas station at the base of the Grapevine called Holland's? I spotted this on the Kern County of Old Facebook page, which read: "From the 1937 Official San Joaquin Valley- Sierra Visitors Guide, an ad for Holland's Cafe and Garage on the Ridge Route Summit. From SCVHistory. com: "Originally located on the Ridge Route just south of Caswell's on what is now the Gorman Post Road, Holland's Summit Cafe started as a truck stop devoid of tourists. The site featured a Standard Oil gas station, garage, and cafe. When the Ridge Route alternate was opened in 1933, Holland's was relocated from its original location to the new highway."

CBD oil picks up a fan in Kyle Carter, turmoil over at Clinica Sierra Vista under a new CEO and Father Craig Harrison heads to Italy for a sabbatical

Friday/Memorial Day Weekend May 25, 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. 

 * ... CBD OIL: You know the world is changing when someone like former home builder Kyle

Carter, a staunch conservative who rarely drinks, comes out in favor of CBD oil, the non-intoxicating marijuana extract that is being credited with helping treat a host of medical problems -- everything from epileptic seizures to anxiety to inflammation to sleeplessness. Carter, who lost to Karen Goh in the last mayoral election, told me a friend turned him onto CBD oil to help him deal with pain and other issues associated with five surgeries for scoliosis. "They put two drops under my tongue" and it helped alleviate his pain, he said. Cannabidiol is extracted from the flowers and buds of marijuana or hemp plants. It does not produce intoxication. Instead, marijuana's "high" is caused by the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

 * ... CLINICA: So what is happening over at Clinica Sierra Vista? The once proud health organization, built by now retired CEO Steve Schilling, has been in turmoil since Schilling retired and was replaced by new CEO Brian Harris. I am told Harris came in with a swagger, telling a group of managers a week into the job that there was "a new sheriff in town" and to expect changes, and that a number of key employees have been unceremoniously fired. "He is dismantling everything Steve built" is how one former employee put it. So is this a simple matter of a new CEO mixing things up and facing a "deep state" of employees loyal to the previous boss, or is Harris the proverbial sharp elbowed bull in a china shop eager to put his own stamp on the organization? Stay tuned. (file photo of Brian Harris)

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "How many consecutive weeks do you have to miss church to requalify for visitor parking?

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "It doesn’t matter if the glass is half full or half empty… it’s clearly almost time to order another drink."

* ... FATHER CRAIG: Monsignor Craig Harrison is headed to Italy for his annual trip, but this time it is not for a week or two, but for three months. Harrison told me this three-month trip recognizes a well deserved sabbatical after 30 years in the priesthood. While there, he hopes to meet with Pope Francis, preside over a wedding of a couple from Bakersfield and meet with friends touring Italy.

 * ... CRIME WAVE: If recent events are any indication of things to come, it will be long summer of crime here in Bakersfield. Oleander has been hit with a long string of car break-ins and windows smashed, with one street seeing five cars hit in one night. Meanwhile over in Seven Oaks, a rash of home burglaries near the Ronald Reagan School has homeowners on edge. And if you really want to be frightened, go to Turnto23.com and check out the video of two teenagers trying to kick in the door of a home near Stockdale and Old River Road, in broad daylight.

 * ... TACOS: Check out these tacos offered at the Silver Fox Starlite Lounge on Taco Tuesdays. The iconic lounge, restored and reopened by Pyrenees Cafe owners Rod and Julie Crawford, has been enjoying a gangbusters business since reopening.

 * ... RIDGE ROUTE: Here's a great picture of part of the old Ridge Route on a bad stretch of road call "Deadman's Curve" as seen along the southbound later of I-5 about two miles below Lebec. Photo courtesy of the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page.

 * ... BEST BETS: Check out Los Angeles Americana singer Chelsea Williams Friday night at Temblor Brewing. Showtime is 7 p.m. Then make reservations to hear the Birds of Chicago June 8 at the Bakersfield Museum of Art. Both great shows featuring rising artists.