Almost 80 million people have already voted this year, setting us up for a possible record turnout this year, Keith Wolaridge honors his father in a new book and a combat veteran finds his home in renewable energy

 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.

 * ... RECORD TURNOUT? It looks like we are headed to a record turnout for the presidential election next week. So far - and this is stunning - 78 million people have already voted. That is more than half of

the total votes counted in the 2017 general election with President Trump beat Hillary Clinton. According to USA Today, more than 257 million people in the United State are 18 or older and some 240 million are eligible to vote. It's possible that 85 million people could vote before Nov. 3, with 150 million voting in total, according to McDonald. That would mean an eligible voter turnout rate of more than 62 percent.

 * ... GOOD FORM: On my recommended reading list this week comes "Five Pillars," the latest book by Bakersfield businessman and school board member Keith Wolaridge. The book examines give character traits handed down by Keith's father to lead a fulfilled life: integrity, perseverance, decency, courage and faith. It is available on Amazon.com. A quick, important read made even more relevant by the times in which we live.

 * ... BAD FORM: This picture was allegedly taken at a Trump rally in Bakersfield this past week. Bad form all around, particularly when you allow young children to read it.

 * ... SOARING VETERAN: Congratulations to Army Airborne veteran Chad Garcia who has joined Braun Electric as a lead in a major solar project. Garcia spent more than 13 years in the Army and was medically retired after suffering head injuries in Afghanistan. After working in the radio business and becoming active in local veteran organizations, Garcia found his calling working on wind turbine farms and was recently recruited by Braun to turn his attention to another renewable energy, solar.  (Perhaps ironically, coworkers from Braun reached out to support Garcia while he was in Afghanistan) Garcia's journey is a testament to the persistence, tenacity and passion that it takes to transition from active military life to a promising career in renewable energy.

 * ... RISING STAR: And here's to Cooper Adamo, youngest son of former Californian photographer Felix Adamo and wife Teresa, for being awarded a fellowship  at the John Jay Institute in the Philadelphia suburb of Langhorne, PA. Said Adamo: "The four month program is intended to prepare Fellows for careers in public service, whether they take shape in the public, non-profit, or for-profit spheres." After completing the course, the Fellows could land new positions in the Congress, State Department, Heritage Foundation, International Arts Movement, the Center for Strategic Studies and others. (photo courtesy of Felix Adamo)

 

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers Mrs. Freise's hospital where so Bakersfield people were born? Check out this photo from May 12, 1939.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there is this shot from Delano, thanks to the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

Steve Holloway steps up to help a veterans project downtown, the failure of the In-n-Out Burger boycott and a memorial service is scheduled for Steve Clifford

Monday, September 3, 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.

 * ... GOOD FORM: For the past month or so a group of volunteers has been working on the "Portrait of a Warrior" gallery on Eye Street between 18th and 19th streets. Conceived as tribute to

our local veterans, the gallery has come together at the hands of volunteers, many of them veterans, who have put in the sweat equity to get it done. This weekend, because of a snafu, the painting contractor did not show up so Steve Holloway stepped up and sent in his own crew from his painting company - at his own expense - and finished the job. Hats off also to the 9/11 Veteran Committee that has been involved (Zachary Reese, Julio Torres, Ike Johnson and Chad Garcia Mioni), the CSUB Veterans Club , the Wounded Heroes Fund and others like Anthony Noble and Jennifer Lopez. Some of the local businesses that pitched in included Jost Flooring, Rebuilding Kern Together, Lowe's and Home Depot.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A man is relating a story about the opening day of dove season: "Two friends drove up from Long Beach on Friday. It took them seven hours to get from Long Beach to Bakersfield. Seven hours."

* ... BURGER BOYCOTT: Whoever dreamed up the idea of boycotting In-n-Out Burger because of its contributions to the California Republican Party must be regretting it now. The boycott was a colossal failure and in fact triggered a run on the popular burger chain by people wanting to express their support. A new menu item even emerged, ordering your burger "Republican style."

 * ... CLIFFORD: A memorial service for the late Steve Clifford is set for this Friday at St. John's Lutheran Church on Buena Vista Road. Clifford, one of Bakersfield's preeminent lawyers, died last week at the age of 77 after battling cancer. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends you can make a donation to Trinity Anglican Church, the MARE Riding Center or the Memorial Hospital Foundation. The service will start at 11 a.m.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of Mercy Hospital back in the day, courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Father Bert Mello of OLPH dies, county supervisors struggle with redistricting and a veteran sheriff's deputy says crime is out of control here

Wednesday, March 21, 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.

 * ... RIP BERT MELLO: Father Bert Mello, who took over at Our Lady of Perpetual Help just

three years ago, has died. His passing was announced Wednesday morning at the start of the

inaugural Kern Catholic Prayer mass to audible gasps from the capacity crowd. There is no immediate word on how he died. Mello had a compelling personal story and spoke opening of his hard partying self indulgent way of life before he turned to the church.

* ... SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS: The biggest story politically is what will the federal court rule in deciding what happens to the county supervisor districts before the November election. Thanks to the lawsuit bought by the Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund and the Dolores Huerta Foundation,

the court ruled the districts must be redrawn because they were crafted in a way that dilutes Latino voting strength. In other words, the county needs a second "safe" Latino district. How that is done and which incumbent it might effectively unseat - David Couch? Mike Maggard? Mick Gleason? - is critical since campaigning is already under way for those incumbents like Maggard who face reelection. All this is unprecedented and we should know soon what the court decides. Meanwhile, Maggard and others continue to campaign hard in a district that might not soon exist.

 * ... AMAZON DELIVERY: Bakersfield has been chosen for a new distribution center that will help deliver Amazon products quicker to the home. According to Oscar Baltazar, senior vice president for Collier International, the new "fulfillment" center will be located at the Wonderful Industrial Park near 7th Standard Road. Amazon does not own the facility but rather contracts with its owner to help fulfill its mission of fast delivery.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "When my dog sniffs another dog’s poop I can only assume that it’s their equivalent to checking a friend’s facebook page."

 * ... CRIME: How bad is crime in Kern County? How about the worst as it has been in more than 30 years. That is how Kern County sheriff's deputy Martin Downs answered the question when he appeared with partner Casey Brunzel on KERN NewsTalk 96.1. Downs and Brunzel are part of the KCSO's rural crime unit that specializes in oil, agriculture and livestock crime. Why has crime spiked? "There aren't any consequences," Downs said, describing a cycle of arrest and release that leaves few in fear of the law.

 * ... KERN VETS: Some of the most interesting talk radio locally is found on a new program devoted to our local veterans. Hosting by Army Airborne veteran Chad Garcia, "KERN Vets" runs every Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM. Last week Garcia interviewed two veterans of the Battle of Iwo Jima and this week his guest will be a Vietnam veteran with two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. They will also discuss the issue of "professional veterans" who seek attention but don't tend to their own issues.

 * ... CHINA PALACE: The county health department has shut down another popular restaurant,  China Palace on California Avenue. Inspectors found cooked chicken and some vegetables were kept at improper temperatures and there was also some uncovered raw shrimp and chicken in a walk in refrigerator. No word on when it will reopen. Meanwhile, Muertos remains closed after inspectors found multiple violations about a week ago, including roaches.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this picture of Chester Avenue and 18th Street back in the day. Photo courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

RIP to the old mainstream media, and get ready for a new "gold rush" by podcasts and streaming video platforms to fill the void. .. and hey how about a cool old photo?

 * ... LOCAL MEDIA: The graveside services for what was known as "the mainstream media" - your local newspaper, network TV and its local affiliate news stations - were held long ago. Media is splintering, newspapers are struggling to keep the lights on and TV ratings are shrinking. In its place,

blogs, podcasts and new video streaming platforms are flourishing, if for no other reason than they don't need truckloads of cash and advertising to stay in business. This is particularly true on the local level, where new "media channels" position themselves to capture the audiences that have abandoned newspapers and other "mainstream" platforms. Locally, look no further than KERNCAST.COM, a new venture catering to the political right and run by former mayoral candidate and pro cannabis activist T.J. Esposito. So far, he has signed up former KNZR radio personalities Chad Garcia and Inga K. Barks, as well as Denise Gary, to do weekly video streaming episodes, and more are in the works. (KERNCAST also hosts a lively "Bored in Bakersfield" channel that is worth checking out). Esposito can be a polarizing figure about town, but it would be wrong to prematurely dismiss him or KERNCAST. The gatekeepers of old media are dead, and there is a new gold rush to see who will fill the void.

 * ... CANNABIS DRAMA: Speaking of old media, it took our local newspaper more than a month but it finally got around to covering the dramatic charges and counter charges involving Supervisors Mike Maggard and Leticia Perez in the local cannabis debate. It's another example of how shrinking staffs in "old media" simply can't keep up with more nimble news sources, and how new alternative news outlets are now leading the way. By the way, if you want a real, unfiltered view of this cannabis mess, go to the KERNRADIO.COM archives to hear interviews with all the players in the local pot debate: Heather Epps, David Abbasi, T.J. Esposito, Kim Schaefer, Ben Eilenberg, Fernando Jara, Maggard and Perez.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: Pat Sajak, host of "Wheel of Fortune," posted this: "It must be exhausting to spend your days monitoring everyone’s speech searching for something to turn into a hashtag hate campaign. #Getalife"

 * ... DISNEYLAND: There is some bad news at the happiest place on earth. That's right Disneyland is raising its prices again and those on the annual season passes are getting slammed. For annual passes, the least expensive pass now costs $729, up from $619, and the Signature Pass (includes parking) is now going for a princely $999 a year. A family of four can easily spend near $4,000 a year for the passes, and that doesn't include gas, hotels or food.

* ... VETERANS: Comrades and Canopies, a group of local veterans dedicated to improving the lives of those who have served, is taking eight Honor Flight vets out to Skydive Taft this weekend. Event organizer Chad Garcia said some of the War World II and Korean War vets had not jumped out of a plane in decades. Garcia and other veterans will be raising money this week at BJ's Brewhouse on Stockdale Highway and Salty's BBQ on White Lane.

 * ... MEMORIES: Tell me you are not transfixed by this photo shared by Mark McGown on the Facebook page "Kern County of Old." In McGowan's words: "L to R: May Stark, Adalaine Nicholson, and Ella Faye in 1894. They were teachers at Kern County High School."

Monday's Bakersfield Observed: Taft landmarks appear in a Super Bowl ad, a chat with former Centennial and USC great Cody Kessler, a new salad joint opens up downtown combat veteran Chad Garcia to appear on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM

Monday, February 5, 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. 

 * ... TAFT: If you spotted a few familiar scenes during the Super Bowl commercials, you were not
alone. It turns out Toyota filmed its commercial in Taft, and it included scenes of the iconic Oasis bar and restaurant, the First Baptist Church and the historic Fox theater.

* ... MOVING UP: Jimmy Phillips, who spent 10 years at Adventist Health Bakersfield/San Joaquin Community Hospital, has been promoted to the group's Regional Director of Marketing for Adventist Health's Southern California Region. Said Phillips: "My responsibilities will be to oversee all marketing activities for our hospitals in Glendale, East LA and Simi Valley, along with our clinics throughout the Greater LA area. Even though I'll be saying goodbye to Adventist Health in Bakersfield, Natalie and I will continue to make our home here (and I will get to know the Grapevine really well). Thanks to all our family and friends for the support over the years. It means more than you know. "

 * ... DIGNAN: And congratulations to Brian Dignan who has been named athletic director at Garces Memorial High School. He previously served as the school's head men's basketball coach.

* ... CODY KESSLER: I chatted with Cody Kessler the other day to catch up with the Centennial and USC grad who is now a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. He was home here in Bakersfield, headed to the Super Bowl and then on to Newport Beach for off season training. Kessler is hopeful to win the starting job after seeing little action last year. He says he is fit and ready to help turn the Browns around. And ... his favorite place to eat when he comes home? Salty's BBQ he told me.

 * ... HEALTHY EATING: I have wondered for a long time why Bakersfield doesn't have more restaurants devoted to healthy salads. Well, one just opened downtown on 19th and Eye Streets called "Tossit" and it features make it yourself salads for under $10. The owner, Gabby Gonzalez, told me they hope to capitalize on the healthy eating trend without sacrificing quality. Check it out. Tossit is on Eye Street in the same building that houses Metro Galleries and Jin Sushi.

 * ... FOODIE: Speaking of healthy eating, our local Eureka burger will start selling the new, leaner, grass and carrot fed Santa Carota beef burger this Thursday. The beef is from a local cattle ranching family and is leaner and moister than the more fatty versions found around town.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I found a horse’s head in my bed this morning, and that’s when I knew things were getting serious with my overdue balance at Comcast."

 * ... OLD PHOTO: Check this photo out from the Facebook page Kern County of Old: "Buck Owens' Buckmobile N Chester Ave and RR tracks Oildale about 1975. Photo courtesy of Thomas Bethune (thanks Tom)."

 * ... TUNE IN: On Tuesday this week, I will be chatting with combat veteran Chad Garcia on a wide range of veterans issues- from PTSD, to suicide to adjusting to life after years in a combat zone. Garcia is a former producer for the recently fired Jaz McKay radio host and was at the center of his dismissal, and his personal story is reflective of the challenges that many veterans face. Garcia will appear Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM.

The politics of pot hits the mainstream and asking myself this question: Is the Women's March more about the "resistance" to the Trump administration and leftist causes or advancing women's issues?

Monday, January 22, 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 (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... POLITICS OF POT: Now that marijuana is legal in California and it has entered mainstream politics, keep an eye on the growing rift between the original local cannabis advocates and the big

moneyed interest coming from out of the area. One of our original pro cannabis groups, the Kern Citizens for Patient Rights, is seeking to distance itself from the out of area interests that have shown no qualms about playing hardball with local politicians. I found this Facebook post from Heather Epps, of the KCPR, interesting: "Kern Citizens for Patient Rights is the same small grassroots group that successfully blocked Kern County's ban on medicinal cannabis dispensaries in 2011.
KCPR quailfied our Medical Cannabis initiative and will be on the City of Bakersfield 2018 ballot.
I do NOT support Americans for Safe Neighborhoods they are #BIGMARIJUANA. I do NOT support the attacks on our local leaders. I do NOT support Los Angeles real estate investors writing our local laws...Now is the time for the cannabis community to come together...not attack each other and perpetuate violence. These attacks are fueled by greed and competition for local campaign funds."

 * ... WOMEN"S MARCH: The second annual Women's March was a big success here in Bakersfield and across the country, but let's be clear about one thing: these marches are less about empowering women than they are about repudiating the Trump administration and advancing the "resistance" movement. That said, there is plenty of good to come from it: the rally encourages our participation in our democracy, recognizes the importance of voting, shines a light on genuine women's issues and sets a good example for our children about how we all can - and should - pay attention and get involved in civic life. And there is also the bad: the Women's March has been hijacked by narrow political interest groups, from the unions to the farmworkers movements to climate change advocates to Democratic candidates. When SB 562 (the nurse's union push for universal health care in California) is a major topic, you know this is more about politics than anything else. A more accurate name might be the Women's Resistance Movement March."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A middle aged man is asked if his wife is participating in the Women's March in downtown Bakersfield. His response: "Only if it goes by Trader Joe's and Nordstrom Rack."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I was wrong. #Women'sMarch2018 was not a good place to meet broads."

 * ... CHAD GARCIA: It's not always easy to do the right thing, but when you have a strong moral compass, you know when to step forward. That was the case last week with Chad Garcia, a Army combat veteran who once worked as a producer for KNZR radio afternoon talk show host Jaz McKay. Garcia left the station after a falling out with McKay, who he describes as a crude bully prone to insults and racist comments. At the same time, Garcia was looking for his own show on the station so he was walking that fine line between insulting the station's star while lobbying for his own show. But when McKay posted a racist video of himself scanning the radio dial and hurling racist insults at the Spanish language stations, Garcia knew he had to do the right thing. So he posted McKay's own video on Facebook, called attention to it and shared it with hundreds of his followers. The blowback was instant and KNZR was flooded with calls demanding McKay be fired. McKay was not on the air Friday and we will see what happens. The larger point here is this: in a world where it is easy to try to get along, people with a strong moral compass like Chad Garcia do the right thing, even if it could hurt him in the long run.

* ... ABANDONED DOGS: Did you see the pictures of the two abandoned dogs who were found and treated at the Kern County Animal Services? They were both nearly unrecognizable because of years of long, matted hair that covered their body to the point you could barely see their heads eyes, paws and feet. Check out their pictures on Facebook. The staff spent hours cutting their fur and bringing them back to life. Hats off to those folks over at animal services.