Billboards pop up in Kevin McCarthy's hometown saying he "must go," state Sen. Shannon Grove is ousted as head of the GOP in the state Senate, and South High School looks to get rid of its "Rebels" nickname

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.

 * ... LOCAL POLITICOS: Two of the most prominent elected officials in Kern County - Congressman Kevin McCarthy and state Sen. Shannon Grove - are both facing political pressure because of their unwavering support for former President Donald Trump. McCarthy, of course, has been widely vilified for supporting Trump's unverified claims that the election was stolen, and on Thursday he told Politico that he believed that Trump did not "provoke" the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6. That

triggered a harsh response from his old mentor, former Congressman Bill Thomas, who labeled McCarthy a "hypocrite" and others have piled on as well, questioning whether McCarthy's future as a leader with the Republican Party will go unchallenged. And now, here in his hometown, someone is erecting billboards attacking McCarthy, a virtual unheard-of scenario not long ago.

 * ... SHANNON GROVE: As for Grove, it looks like her pro-Trump credentials at least partially led to her ouster as leader of the GOP in the State Senate. The Republican caucus ousted Grove from the leadership position this week, opting for the more moderate state Sen. Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita after the Republicans lost two seats in the Senate.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My iPhone battery died and I have to wait 2 days for a new one like some kind of pioneer woman."

 * ... CSUB GIFT: Here's some good news for CSUB: it turns out a former Bakersfield resident has donated $500,000 to the CSUB athletics department to support the 10 women's teams at the university. The gift came from Shelly Carlin, who was a member of the national championship softball team at UCLA in 1981. Athletic director Ziggy Siegfried said the gift will lead to the establishment of the Athletics Director's Women's Excellence Fund, and will help CSUB softball reach the allowable maximum for scholarships (12) for the first time in program history. Carlin previously worked as chief human resources officer at Motorola and earlier pledged $170,000 to the school's softball program.

 * ... SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL: South High School, long known as home of the Rebels, has decided to abandon its nickname for something more politically correct. In a decision that undoubtedly will not be welcomed by many of South's alumni, the school administration said it was looking for input for a new suitable nickname. The South High Sycamores? Whatever the new name, you can bet it will be a phrase that will pass the political correctness test.

 * ... MEMORIES: From the Facebook page Kern County of Old comes these classic old pictures of downtown Bakersfield back in the day.

Joseph's Italian restaurant falls on hard times, Greg Kerr joins Vance Palm to air CSUB home basketball games and a bit of Bako history from the archives

Friday, September 21, 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.

* ... JOSEPH'S: The iconic Italian restaurant Josep's has fallen on hard times and may be flirting with going out of business. In an unusual move, the eatery's owner took to Facebook to share his concern. His post: "It is

with a heavy heart I must make this announcement... This summer has been incredibly hard on us and I'm not sure if we're going to be able to make it out. I've cut every aspect of spending, including the lowest number of employees we've had since my nana and father ran the place back in the 80s. My mother and father created and experienced the peak of this restaurant during the 1990s and early 2000s. I've been struggling to bring that back but I lack the finances and charisma they had. On top of that, the city continues to grow daily and competition ceaselessly arises. Simply put, the neccessary finances to keep the business afloat are not coming in. The money that does come in is only enough to cut even. This does not include license renewals, taxes, rent, and other utilities. I continue daily to keep the place alive and going for one more week at a time. But I know there will come a point where it's not going to be possible, especially now that we are in the midst of fair season. The fees of maintaining the business will eventually catch up. To be clear, we are not closed yet, we're still fighting to be open as of now, although the future of Joseph's is looking bleak. This is but a heads up to our loyal guests who frequent the establishment on a weekly basis. I know who you are and I feel it is my responsibility to prepare all of you."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You know that nice tingly feeling you get when you’re falling for someone? That’s common sense leaving your body."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Just be yourself. Someone will love you for it then soon enough hate you for it."

 * ... CSUB BASKETBALL: This year's season of CSUB basketball will feature two veteran broadcasters airing the games. The university said all home men's basketball games will be broadcast on WatchESPN for the second-straight season. The Roadrunners are bringing back play-by-play announcer Vance Palm and welcoming local sports anchor Greg Kerr as the color analyst. Palm is entering his 20th year as a local play-by-play announcer. He currently has the longest tenure among announcers in the Bakersfield community and has been with the `Runners for just shy of a decade. Kerr, a constant in Bakersfield sports reporting since in 1987, has agreed to team up with Palm for CSUB's home games this season. Kerr was inducted into the Bob Elias Kern County Hall of Fame in 2016, becoming just the second journalist to join the ranks.

 * ... BRIDGET BARNES: And speaking of CSUB basketball, one of the more interesting people I have met recently is Bridget Barnes, wife of CSUB head coach Rod Barnes. The Mississippi native is a deeply spiritual lay minister whose mother was a Jehovah's Witness but she now identifies herself as a Christian. Check out her website at bridgetbarnesministries.life.

 * ... DIGNITY: Congratulations to Dignity Health which announced a partnership with CSUB athletics to for Mercy and Memorial Hospitals to be the exclusive health care providers for CSUB athletics. Dignity is one of the more savvy marketers in the region and its Hello Humankindness campaign has been a huge hit. In October, it will become one of the primary sponsors of my show, The Richard Beene Show, on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM.

* ... ADVENTIST HEALTH: Meanwhile things aren't going so well over at Adventist Health, formerly known as San Joaquin Hospital. The hospital laid off a couple dozen of employees this week in what it called a restructuring.

* ... MEMORIES: How about this old picture of the Woody Store in the 1950s. I spotted this on the Kern County of Old Facebook page where the caption read: "Woody was named after Dr. Sparrell Walter Woody, who homesteaded with his wife at the foot of Blue Mountain in 1862. The Woody School District was founded in 1873 and a post office opened in 1889. A local legend states that the outlaw Joaquin Murrieta once had a cave/hideout in the area that he used while on the run."

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy launches spirited defense of hydraulic fracturing, and the Fox Theater launches a fund raising drive to save the grande dame of downtown Bakersfield

 * … SHALE: Bakersfield Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy has launched a spirited defense of hydraulic fracking, the petroleum extraction method that has drawn scrutiny from environmentalists. In a piece written for The Sacramento Bee, McCarthy noted that the "Monterey shale is projected to hold greater potential for oil than any other shale play in the country – more than 15 billion barrels or 64 percent of total undeveloped but recoverable shale oil, according to a 2011 International Energy

Agency report. To put this into perspective, this is five times more than the amount of oil in North Dakota, where the unemployment rate is the lowest in the country. As our state, particularly the Central Valley region, grapples with high unemployment and few new job opportunities, the potential for prosperity in an industry that is well established in California cannot be ignored." McCarthy called some of the fracking opponents  "long on exaggeration but short on fact... hydraulic fracturing has been demonstrated to be safe. In fact, California’s own director of the Department of Conservation, Mark Nechodom, stated in a recent interview that hydraulic fracturing has been used for the last 40 years and there has not been one record of reported damage."

* … FOX: The historic Fox Theater is holding its year-end fund raising drive, asking folks to reach into their pockets to help support this wonderful old theater. The Fox was opened on Christmas Day 1930, fell into disrepair over the years and is now in the capable hands of a local foundation. This is a charity worthy of your consideration. Go to www.bakersfieldfox.com to donate online, or call (661) 636-0918 to learn how you can support a remodeling project.

 * … CONCERT: If you are interested in helping CSUB athletics, make sure to check out a concert coming Tuesday, Dec. 3, at the Fox Theater. Called "A simpler holiday," the show features Wynonna and The Big Noise with an opening act by Bakersfield's own Whitney Wattenbarger. Tickets are available at the Fox Theater box office or at all Vallitix locations. (Photo of Whitney Wattenbarger compliments of her Facebook page)

 * … SPOTTED: From my friend Linda Welch: "This one made my day. A lady was driving a pretty new Cadillac Escalade. She threw a lit cigarette out the windows and didn't notice the pretty black and white car behind her until he turned on his pretty overhead lights … yep he nailed her."

 * … MEMORY: Kevin Flom wrote to remember the Sub Machine sandwich sop on Wilson and Wible roads. "I was a frequent visitor of that place. Great sandwiches! I became a good friend to the owner, Fran Barnes.  She lived in Tehachapi but it has been some years since I last saw her  After the Sackett and Peters  and Vons closed down, the loss of foot traffic caused her to close the store. I too often think about her and the great sandwiches she served. To this date, I have never had a pastrami sandwich like hers."

 * … ROTARY: And hats off to the folks over at Breakfast Rotary, who delivered a van full of professional work attire to the American Job Center (formerly known as Career Services Center).  The clothes were gathered during October.  The Tuxedo Man van, owned by Breakfast Club member Carl Leech, transported the clothes to the center.

Cal State Bakersfield Athletic Director Jeff Konya is a finalist for the AD position at Cal State Northridge, and a ton of memories of old Bako

* ... CSUB: It looks like Cal State Bakersfield athletic director Jeff Konya is being courted by Cal State Northridge to become the director of athletics for the CSUN Matadors. Konya is apparently a finalist for the job, which came open when Rick Mazzuto left in November. Konya came to CSUB two years ago from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, replacing Rudy Carvajal as athletic director. The loss of Konya would be a major blow to Cal State, which is now competing on the Division 1 level in college athletics and has just entered the Western Athletic Conference. Stay tuned.

 * ... GREEN FROG: From Santa Maria, Jerry Kirkland writes that he remembers when there was  a Green Frog Market on California and Chester. "When I was a junior at BHS in 1950-51, I worked there after school and on Saturdays, boxing groceries and stocking shelves. Oddly enough, we still use the term 'box boys' even though we haven't actually used boxes to take out groceries in many years.  We did in those days and it was about the hardest job I ever had since you had to literally carry the boxes to the customer's cars. Very few shopping carts in those days.  I started at 75 cents an hour but that was later raised to $1. Big money. Paul Taylor was the owner and manager and a really nice guy to work for.  Seems like maybe he was partners with the guy - his name excapes me - who had the store on Bernard and Alta Vista.  There was a full service butcher shop with sides of beef stored in a large walk-in refrigerator and the butchers would cut steaks or roasts according to the customer's wishes.  There was also a bakery in the front of the store, a Smith's if I'm not mistaken.  One day an older lady parked out front got her foot on the wrong pedal and came over the sidewalk and through the wall into the bakery section. Ruined a few pastries but no one was hurt."

* ... LITTER: Brent Stratton wrote to weigh in on the La Cresta homeowner who was upset that the Bakersfield police would not act on a man he caught littering in his neighborhood.  "I just wanted to point out that unless I'm mistaken, littering is an infraction and California law does not allow for a citizen to make a citizen's arrest (or an officer to arrest for something like this that did not occur in their presence). I don't believe it's selective enforcement, I just don't think it's legal for them to act  and would potentially open them (taxpayers) up to civil liability. Something to consider."

* ... HONOR FLIGHT: One of the most uplifting operations in town is the Honor Flight, in which World War II veterans are flown to Washington, D.C., to visit the war memorials. One of the driving forces behind the local effort is Lili Marsh, operations manager of the Petroleum Club. She told me there are two more flights planned - in the spring and in the fall - and wants more veterans to reach out to take advantage of this opportunity. "We have many applications, more than enough to fill a flight, but every time I read the obits it seems like another World War II vet has passed away. And I always think, 'I wonder why they didn’t fly with us?'" Lili can be reached at (661) 544-VETS. (photo courtesy of Jessica Frey)

 * ... OLD BAKO: Carol Owen gave me a call to answer a reader's question about the name of a restaurant that was located next door to Sinaloa, when that eatery was in the current location of Wool Grower's. "I believe it was called Frager's and it was very fancy and it featured enchilladas, tamales and fried chicken of all things," she said. "And I wonder if anyone remembers the old Tea Room on Truxtun that had the best home cooked meals. It was in an old two-story house down near the Civic and people used to be lined up at 5 p.m. trying to get in."

 * ... MEMORY: Elinor Grant also remembers the Mexican eatery that was in the current Wool Grower's location, and recalls that its specialty was a small green pepper, stuffed with cheese, dipped in batter and deep fried. "What a delight," she wrote. The memory still lingers."

CSUB launches a new sports marketing program and good wishes to a local architect battling prostate cancer

* ... CSUB: I spent the afternoon out at Cal State Bakersfield the other day and was impressed with the bold new branding around the athletic programs. Thanks to an aggressive marketing plan under Athletic Director Jeff Konya, the Icardo Center is now "wrapped" in sepia-like, golden toned pictures of CSUB athletes in action. Inside, the Icardo Center has received a new blue floor emblazoned with a huge Roadrunner in the middle and new lighting. Expect to see more CSUB promotion in near future; it's all part of Konya's plans to bring excitement back to Roadrunner athletics. And by the way, the first regular season home game for Runners basketball is Nov. 19 when Pepperdine University comes to town.

 

 * ... SICK BAY: Bruce Biggar is one of our community's longtime residents and good souls, not to mention a friend of mine, so I was concerned to learn that he just underwent surgery to deal with prostate cancer. The good news is that the surgery, performed at UCLA Medical Center, was a complete success. "Of course nothing is guaranteed but right now I am cancer free," he told me. A longtime architect at BFCG-IBI Group Architecture Planning, Bruce told me he is now "going to get on my soap box to tell men: monitor your PSA levels and get regular checkups." Other than losing a few pounds, Bruce is doing well and now walking regularly to retain his strength and stamina.

 * ... THANKS: From reader Pamela Mahan: "God bless these 'quiet millionaires' such as Dr. Cornforth and his wife, Edna, who have donated a million dollars to San Joaquin Hospital for their cancer center. We should all appreciate what the private sector does to contribute to our welfare. We don't all have to rely on the government to take care of us."

 * ... GRANTS: The Women's and Girls' Fund, part of the Kern Community Foundation, has annnounced a new four-year focus on grants supporting education and training for Kern women and girls. Through 2015 annual grants of $20,000 or more will be awarded to local non-profits. The new grant cycle has a deadline of Nov. 9 to apply. Go to http://www.kernfoundation.org/ to download application forms. Meanwhile, The Bakersfield Californian Foundation has an Oct. 14 deadline for grant requests focused on the beautification and general improvement of downtown Bakersfield. It's nice to live in a town where so many people are chipping in to improve our community. You can find the Californian grant applications on http://www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org/.

* ... OVERHEARD: A U.S. Airways flight from Phoenix to Bakersfield was recently delayed by more than 30 minutes because the crew ran out of seat belt extenders to accommodate a large number of out sized passengers. Oh my.

 * ... SPOTTED: Memo to the middle aged woman driving the late model silver BMW with black convertible top on Gosford Road: thanks for using your blinkers but weaving through heavy traffic like a NASCAR driver can be hazardous to your health.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: James Taylor writes that you might be a Bakersfield old-timer if you remember "the Texas Kid fruit stand on 34th Street and Dudley's hamburger stand across the street from East High School. Had lots of spaghetti and beans there."