Are more apartments headed for downtown east of Chester Avenue? Plus tension on the Board of Supervisors and DA candidates to square off in a debate at CSUB

Wednesday April 4, 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.

 * ... 18th STREET CORRIDOR: It looks like another big apartment project may be headed to

downtown Bakersfield on what I call the "18th Street Corridor" east of Chester Avenue. City Councilman Bob Smith said he is eyeing a parcel of land at the intersection of Q and 18th streets for yet another apartment complex, following the success of his 17th Place Townhomes. If the new project is built, it will mark yet another important chapter in the evolution of this important area of town that some have called "Eastchester."

 * ... BOARD OF SUPERVISORS: The federal court-ordered redistricting on the Board of Supervisors has thrown the board into some unknown territory: it has evolved from a clubby, polite group to a board where trust is in short supply. Perhaps as never before, the board is so divided that some members have a hard time making eye contact with others. The long feud between Supervisor Leticia Perez and Mike Maggard lingers, and now Supervisor David Couch feels the other four (particularly Maggard and Zack Scrivner) threw him under the bus by carving up his district to appease the federal judge's mandate.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, maybe that's where your kid should be practicing the trumpet."

 * ... DEBATES: CSU Bakersfield will be hosting a debate between Cynthia Zimmer and Scott Spielman who are running to succeed Lisa Green as Kern County District Attorney. The debate is set for Thursday, April 19, at the Walter Stiern Library. The following week, on Friday April 27, a debate featuring the top office seekers (state Assembly, Sheriff, District Attorney, judges and county supervisors) will be held at the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

 * ... APRIL FOOLS: Did you hear that In 'n Out Burger is now offering a "Cali style" burger with avocado and bacon? That was the news sweeping social media last week but before you get too excited, understand that it was apparently an April Fool's joke that got out of hand. The popular burger chain says it has no intention of changing or adding to its menu.

 * ... SACRAMENTO NUTTINESS: Did you hear about Assembly Bill 1945? Sponsored by Assemblyman Phillip Ting, the law would ban the sale and use of internal combustion engines in California by the year 2040. That's right, no more gas-powered cars and trucks. Is there a chance the Assembly could approve this bill? It's California, so go figure.

More rain headed for California makes for an epic wet year, Cafe Smitten opens to huge crowds and who remembers Tri-Valley Rambler on Chester Avenue?

 * ... WEATHER: Can you remember the last time rain was not in the forecast? What a year it has

been and yet more rain is in the forecast. One friend told me he had not used his sprinklers in three months, another is predicting we will have water in the Kern River well through July Fourth, and experts say don't be surprised if we are skiing in Mammoth through Labor Day.

* ... CAFE SMITTEN: Cafe Smitten, the impressive new downtown coffee and pastry house, opened Monday to a crowds that snaked out the door onto the sidewalk virtually all day. The design is stunning, or as a friend muttered to himself, "are we in Santa Monica?" For me, I knew this 18th Street bistro was special when I was greeted with the soft melody of the song "Sin City" by the Flying Burrito Brothers when I walked through the door. My non-fat latte was excellent but I was secretly envious of a friend's 'smashed avocado' sandwich, one of the many creative items on a menu that includes beer and wine. Another big selling point: plenty of outdoor seating. Among those I spotted on opening day were Watson Realtors John and Katy Glentzer, Ward 2 City Councilman Andrae Gonzales, Ward 4 Councilman Bob Smith (his daughter and son-in-law run the place), local businessman Mel Atkinson and daughter KellyAnn, Metro Galleries owner Don Martin, Californian editor Stephanie Diaz and reporter Jason Kotowski and Live Office Systems marketing artists Matthew Prewitt and Bree Wattonville.

 * ... HUMAN KINDNESS: This note from Lynn and Bill Seeker showed up in my mailbox: "We would like to thank 'Bailey'' who kindly paid for our breakfast at the 24th Street Cafe on Feb.16.  It  was very generous of him to do this. There are a lot of very kind  people here in Bakersfield  and you are one. "

  * ... LIFE: This is why I love Facebook: the other day a friend posts this: "Seriously, can you imagine Trump in a real crisis?" while at the same time another chimes in: "Who wants to do the Abs Challenge?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy you a really nice house to be miserable in."

 * ... MEMORIES: If you are a Bakersfield old timer, you may remember the old Tri-Valley Rambler dealership. I learned this while visiting the Kern County of Old Facebook page, a repository of old photos and local history. In 1964, according to a story in The Californian, Tri-Valley was purchased by a then young Richard Stricklen and relocated to Chester and 26th streets.

 * ... RODEO: A reader dropped this note in my mailbox: "I recently received this note from a close personal friend who recently attended the Humble Rodeo in Humble, Texas. It said: 'It was a great event and with about 2,000 in attendance, it had the flavor of times past in small town America. As the evening progressed, the announcer began to ask people from various states to stand as he called them out. Loud applause for some, polite for others. When he asked who was from California, two people sitting in front of the arena stood. There was no applause, just silence. The announcer then said 'welcome to America.' That brought down the house!”

City Councilman Bob Smith steps in to help residents of a neighboring ward, Monsignor Craig Harrison holds forth at another successful CrabFest and remembering the late Trice Harvey

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here's an example of really good form from Campus Park resident Kevin Cornelius. Campus Park is in Ward 5, represented by the late Jeff Tkac, and was having issues with trees being cut and hauled away. So with no current city council representative, residents turned to

Ward 4 Council Bob Smith for help. "Last Monday the city cut down five trees in one day! We the neighbors of North Campus Park decided enough already. We also had complaints with the sump or pond which was formerly a nice ecosystem a few years back. In this pond area or sump as the city calls it... everything from kit fox to ducks, cranes and falcons thrived before the city brought in heavy earth moving equipment and cleaned out all the reeds and vegetation. My wife (Sabrina) contacted Bob on Tuesday about the situation and he responded right back with a meeting three days later. Councilman Smith brought along with him city officials ( Dianne Hoover with Parks and Recreation,   Jason Meadows theWater Resources Director, and Arthur Chianello the Water Resources Manager).  We would like to thank Bob and these three city officials who showed up in the pouring rain at the park to listen to all of our concerns. They were all very courteous and promised to get back to us with some hopeful solutions."

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     
* ... CRABFEST: Monsignor Craig Harrison held court at the annual CrabFest this weekend, the hugely popular fund raiser for St. Francis School that brings together a few hundred like minded people under one roof for a dinner of ribs and crab. Angeline Mason and Rick and Cindy Jones were honored for their service, and longtime St. Francis principal Cindy Meek learned the school will build a new wing and cafeteria named in her honor. I had the chance to break bread and chat with the remarkable Kathy and John Ritter, both longtime educators and St. Francis supporters. Events like this bring our community together, and it was good to spot so many people giving their time (and money) to a good cause.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Relationship status: getting a back rub from a tennis ball wedged against the wall."

 * ... TRICE HARVEY: Ronal Reynier shared with memory about our late Assemblyman Trice Harvey, which speaks to his good character. "About 20 years ago my wife Mary and I, on the way back from the coast, stopped at the White Elephant in Taft for lunch. A Iowa football game had just started. Trice was there and said Iowa had no chance against his team. My wife could not let that pass and so bet him $5 Iowa would win. Our quick 30 minute lunch turned into a three hour game. Iowa won and Trice reached into his wallet ... he had to borrow $5 from a friend, his wallet by that time was empty."

 * ... CHARTER SCHOOLS: My piece on charter schools triggered this response from my friend Louis Widman out at Cal State Bakersfield: "Public schools are good for our democracy, because no other institution brings so many children together and, very importantly, teaches them how to get along with people of different faiths, races, and wealth. Since we are only free to make choices among the alternatives we know, a democracy needs public schools to provide everyone with an education that prepares people to make choices as citizens. I don’t want corporations or churches running charter schools to control what choices people realize they have."

 * ... MEMORIES: Anthony Bernal says you know your are from Bakersfield "if you remember the days presidential candidates traveled by rail and both Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey made campaign stops at the Southern Pacific Depot at Baker and Sumner in 1948."

A new downtown infill project of luxury apartments heads toward the final stretch, remembering the remarkable Betty Leonor and new guidelines for giving blood

* ... PROGRESS: A new project to bring semi-luxury apartments downtown looks like it is entering

the final stretch. Siding has gone up on the new 17th Place, a 44-unit complex that sits between N and O streets off 17th, just a block from the Rico Bowl. The project, targeted to millennials with apartments in the 1,200 square foot range, is the brainchild of Ward 4 city councilman Bob Smith and his son, Austin Smith. It will be an important test in the concept of urban 'infilling' for Bakersfield and, if successful, will undoubtedly spark more investment downtown.

 * ... ROSEDALE: And speaking of progress, road crews are busy trying to complete the widening of Rosedale Highway between Highway 99 and Coffee Road. New asphalt and striping has been completed west to Mohawk and the center dividers are now in well past that.

* ... GOOD FORM: This was a scene at Dewar's downtown the other day when a reader and her brother were enjoying some sodas at the bar. "A film crew was present at one end of the counter. We were at the opposite end when a nice man came over to us and asked if he could hide behind us while the film crew was there. He picked up his 'to go' order and disappeared. When we attempted to pay for the sodas we were told the gentleman paid our bill. That has never happened to either of us before and we will never forget his kind act. As we were leaving my brother commented, 'Why do you suppose he did that?' I smiled and said, 'because we are old and he felt sorry for us!'"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If women think all men are the same, then why do they worry so much about picking the right one?"

 * ... OVERHEARD: At the Bakersfield Racquet Club a man is telling a partner: "I gave blood yesterday and now they ask if your current gender is the once you were born with. A real sign of the times I suppose."

 * ... BETTY: It was a year ago that cancer claimed the life of Betty Leonor, an incredible talent and artist who did some of her best work while living and working in Bakersfield. A native of the Dominican Republic, Leonor landed in Bakersfield almost by mistake (she followed her husband here) but immediately attracted a large following for her stunning series of oil paintings, many self portraits. Leonor died of liver cancer at the age of 44, but her legacy lives on via her paintings that hang on walls throughout our town.

 * ... TRIBUTE: I posed the question earlier about legacies, and how we believe we will be remembered when we are gone. Most of us will never be famous, or well known beyond our immediate circles, but that doesn't determine the impact we live. Consider this note from John Moore of Moore Farms/White Wolf Potato, who wrote to note the passing of his secretary and bookkeeper Margaret Morrison. "Margaret passed away at age 85 one week before the end of our potato harvest earlier this month. It would have been the finish of her 60th season working for our business. She was a dedicated employee who worked with four generations of Moore's. A Canadian by birth, she began working for my grandfather in 1956 and finished her career working with my children. She was the mainstay of our office for many years and she witnessed many changes in the way we do business. From the days of adding machines, hand typewriters, and landlines to today's world of cellphones, computers and accounting programs, she saw it all. Margaret never had children of her own thus dedicated her life to the success of our business and the well being of all her associates here. Her passing marks the end of an era. Her longevity was matched only by her loyalty. Such people are rare and hard to find and she will be greatly missed!"

City Councilman Terry Maxwell gets some love, and what exactly did House Speaker Paul Ryan order for breakfast at Milt's Coffee Shop?

 * ... MAXWELL: When City Councilman Bob Smith endorsed Andrae Gonzales in his race to topple incumbent Terry Maxwell in Ward 2, it drew this response from reader Sue Castro: "Well, I

had to choke back some phlegm when I read that Bob Smith, as well as Alan Tandy, find Councilman Terry Maxwell not to their liking. Since Bakersfield's puffed up city manager likes to have his way, I can understand why a decidedly un-yes man like Terry Maxwell would be a thorn in his side. I guess Andrae Gonzales says 'si' with more ease!"

 * ... HOUSE SPEAKER: I was happy to field questions from readers and friends about my breakfast with House Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy at Milt's Coffee Shop the other day. But I was surprised at the most common question: what exactly did they eat? So here it is: Ryan, a fitness freak, enjoyed a Milt's omelette topped with avocado and hot sauce with  hash browns and a coffee. McCarthy eschews coffee and opted for a glass of water, two eggs overlight (no sides) and a small bowl of fresh strawberries.

 * ... BAD FORM: In the privately owned hills above Hart Park a man has towed a backhoe and is churning up the hills to create motorcycle jumps, all illegal of course, but there you go.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "What if dogs bring the ball back because they think you enjoy throwing it?"

 * ... ROADRUNNERS: Congratulations to CSUB basketball coach Rod Barnes for being named coach of the year in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). And how great would it be for Barnes, his team and the city of Bakersfield if the Roadrunners make it to the NCAA tournament and compete in March Madness? Follow the team as it heads to Las Vegas for the WAC tournament.

 * ... LIBRARY TAX: It looks like an uphill fight to pass a local tax to fund our library system, which distresses folks like my friend Ken Barnes. Said Barnes: "A note to the naysayers against the one-eighth cent sales tax... Surely we can all afford an extra 'one cent' for every
eight dollars we spend to help out our local library department. This is really just a common sense tax.  Too bad more people don't use common sense much any more."

 * ... SMOKERS: Stephen A. Montgomery wrote noting a pet peeve of mine: "Noting the observation by guest columnist Paul Netter referencing the risks to wild condors caused by micro-trash over time I note smokers I’m stuck behind in traffic who, after finishing their smoke, drop the butt out their car window. I’ve never seen a smoker in traffic when finishing their smoke ever keep the butt inside their car but in every case drop it in the street. This sense of entitlement and lack of civic responsibility by smokers who, in their denial of the facts of the outcome of the accumulated distribution of such trash, is frustrating. They all deserve a 'dope slap' for their arrogance and stupidity."

More details on the folks behind the rezoning in the River Run area of the Southwest, and Baynes Bank leaves Mission Bank to join Wells Fargo Bank

* ... BLACK OPS: There's some new information about the group known as "Black Ops" that is behind the proposed rezoning of vacant property in the Seven Oaks area. The rezoning, which will go before the Bakersfield Planning Commission next week, has triggered opposition from residents in the River Run and Seven Oaks neighborhoods who are opposed to apartments backing up to their homes. One of the principals behind Black Ops is Matthew Paul Wade, who clarified who is backing the deal. Two others listed as Black Ops principals, dairyman John Bidart and Donald R. Judkins, are not involved, according to Wade. Bidart told me he has done business with Wade before under the "Black Ops" name but was not involved in this deal.

 * ... HOUSING: Baynes Bank has left Mission Bank to join Wells Fargo as a regional builder sales consultant. His role: to establish relationships and alliances with builders in the San Joaquin Valley north to Oregon. This is yet another signal that the housing market is rebounding and that the banks are preparing for a surge in new home construction. Prior to Mission Bank, Bank worked for Lennar's Bakersfield Homebuilding Division. He is a graduate of the University of the Pacific and he and his wife, Natalie, have four children.

 * ... CELL PHONES: Perhaps it's no surprise, but several new studies are affirming what most of us already believe: that "overheard cell phone conversations are far more distracting and annoying than a dialogue between two people nearby." That's the conclusion of a study carried by The New York Times, which reported that a "growing body of research on why cellphones rank so high on the list of modern irritants." Apparently studies show that when folks are "trapped next to a one-sided conversation - known nowadays as a 'halfalogue' - their anger rises in the same way it does in other situations where they are not free to leave, like waiting for a train." (photo courtesy of The New York Times)

 * ... HOMELESS: Few things reflect the state of the economy than the homeless encampments along the dry Kern River bed, prompting this note from Patricia Marshall. "The huge tree by the river bed is dying, it no longer provides camouflage for the many make-shift tents beneath it. The garbage is piling up, where there was little there now is a lot. I wonder how they survived the cold winter, those who have made their shelter under that tree. It's easily seen by all who travel east on Golden State into our city and look down to the river on the south side. I'm surprised they have not been offered more appropriate accommodations. Perhaps they'll move on once the tree is gone."


* ... BIKE PATH: Hats off to new City Councilman Bob Smith who worked with city staff to get the bike path restriped. The striping from Manor to Stockdale Highway had become worn but city staff is now busy putting down new paint thanks to a request from Smith.

* ... WALLY TUCKER: Joe Stormont added a little context into Wally Tucker, otherwise known as the "Sheriff of Datsun Country." The old Datsun dealership was located at 19th and Baker streets (now a paint store near WoolGrower's). "In the 1960s and 1970s Wally Tucker did a lot of corny local TV advertising with George Day, with Wally riding his horse and being announced as 'the Sheriff of Datsun Country.' Just ask anyone you know who may have lived here between 1960 and 1980, they will remember Wally Tucker, along with George Day, Uncle Woody etc."