County CAO Ryan Alsop invites the city to explore a partnership on its homeless shelter, one of the killers of an elderly east Bakersfield woman may be paroled and the San Francisco 49ers show some real class to the family of Christopher Kreiser

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 reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company.


 * ... AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE? Here's an offer that just might be too hard to refuse. County chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop has invited the city to partner with the county in building a low barrier homeless shelter off Golden State. The county is well on the way to opening

the facility, which will eventually feature 150 beds, while the city has been dickering for months about finding a location. During an open ended discussion on The Richard Beene Show, Alsop invited the city to join with the county in operating one joint facility, instead of two competing ones. The advantages: the city could avoid getting into the shelter business, it would avoid ponying up millions for land and it would not have to worry about angering neighborhoods who don't want a shelter near homes. Ward 1 City Councilman Willie Rivera has long wanted to explore a partnership, while City Manager Alan Tandy and Ward 2 Councilman Andrae Gonzales are pushing for the city to buy land on East Brundage at the Calcot plant to erect its own shelter.

 * ... LOW BARRIER SHELTER: Meanwhile as the city dickers, the county shelter is well under construction and could open as early as February. Alsop said the construction of the facility, located off Golden State on a parcel of county land, will open either in late January or early February. The facility will be called a Low Barrier Navigation Center and will be run by staff of the Community Action Partnership of Kern.

* ... PROP 57: Here is yet another example of the unexpected consequences of the passage of Prop 57: a young lady who was involved in the brutal death of a helpless 81-year-old woman is about to be released from prison. That's right Katila Nash, convicted of taking part in the murder when she was 15 years old, is set to be released from prison any day now.  If you remember, Nash acted as a lookout when she and two other teenagers entered the house of Dorothy Sessions in east Bakersfield and brutally killed her. She wasn't eligible for patrol until 2030 but thanks to Prop 57, she is now eligible for release.

 * ... BAD FORM: Shame on the Kern County Fair board for its lack of discretion in spending lavishly on lobster meals and booze, and now a state agency says its has to make suitable reimbursements. According to KGET, which broke the original story, the California Department of Food snd Agriculture (CDFA) is tracking an auditor's recommendations on action taken against CEO Mike Alcott, a deputy manager and a maintenance supervisor. The auditor also noted that members of the fair board have agreed to repay $1,259 for alcohol purchases. How did we get here anyway? Board chairwoman Blodgie Rodriguez should explain that instead of dodging the cameras. When the auditor reveals what board members have repaid for what, we will report it here.

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

 * ... CHRISTOPHER KREISER: Hats off to the ownership of the San Francisco 49ers for showing some real class, and love, for a Bakersfield man who died of cancer a year ago. In memory of Christopher Kreiser and his love of the 49ers, his wife Katie, their children and friends attended last week's 49ers game against the Atlanta Falcons and were granted field access by the team owners. Rick Kreiser, Christopher's father, said the 49ers went out of their way to recognize Christopher and his fight against lymphoma.

 * ... MEMORIES: And who remembers the old Bakersfield Inn on Union Avenue. Just take a look at what it once was.

Disneyland raises prices yet again, a moving tribute for cancer victim Christopher Kreiser and putting the spotlight on organic foot pioneer Heather Laganelli at Locale Farm to Table

Monday, January 7, 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 tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... DISNEYLAND: If you are a fan of Disneyland, get ready for another round of price hikes. That's right, Disney has announced price increases o up to 25 percent for daily tckets, annual passes

and parking. Said the Los Angeles Times: "The increases, which took effect Sunday, come less than a year after the resort adopted price hikes of up to 18 percent. Under the latest increases, the cheapest daily ticket will be more than $100. Daily parking prices are rising to $25 from $20 — a 25 percent increase." The resort expects visitor demand to skyrocket when it opens its new area, called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, this summer. The 14-acre expansion will feature two attractions, including a ride that lets visitors pilot the Millennium Falcon, the spaceship flown by Han Solo in the “Star Wars” movies.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If anybody tells you you’re putting too much Parmesan on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don’t need that negativity in your life."

 * ... RIP CHRISTOPHER: It was a wonderful tribute and service this weekend for Christopher Kreiser, the 39-year-old local businessman who lost his battle with cancer, leaving behind a wife, three young children and a legion of friends and family. His father, Rick Kreiser, spoke on behalf of his family before a standing room only Catholic mass at St. Francis and then the crowd headed over to the Crystal Palace to be serenaded by the great Jim Shaw and one of Rick's longtime friends, guitar virtuoso Carl Verheyen. Christopher died of lymphoma while undergoing experimental treatment at UCLA Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Katie and three children: Carson, Kyle and Kensie.

* ... FARM TO TABLE: A plant based diet is not right for everyone, but there is no denying that the movement is here to stay and steadily gaining adherents. Look no further than the expanding organic and vegan sections at Vons, Albertson's and Smart and Final. Not long ago vegan and soy-based "meat" products could only be found at Lassen's and perhaps Sprout's, but today they are near ubiquitous. There are also a growing number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, including Hen's Roost downtown and Guapo's Tacos off White Lane where they offer a scrumptious like of vegan tacos. One of the local pioneers of this movement in Heather Laganelli, owner of Locale Farm to Table across from the downtown Post Office. Formerly known as Union Deli, Laganelli has run the restaurant since 2015 by focusing on healthy, locally sourced food and vegan options. On Monday she will be on The Richard Beene show at 2:30 p.m. (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) to talk about the growing popularity of healthy eating. Tune in to hear her story.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of our Fox Theater, compliments from the Kern County of Old Facebook page. Amazing.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there is this, from the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. It had this caption: "3 unidentified men in a 1912 photo that states 'Booze Joint' (left side) and a fraternal flag that is F. O. E. (Fraternal Order of Eagles)."