Another California cop is shot and killed, Amy Travis takes over as head of CASA and Brian Dignan resigns as athletic director at Garces Memorial High School

Friday, January 11, 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.

 * ... OPEN SEASON ON COPS: Another cop has been shot and killed, this time a 22-year-old

rookie in Davis who seems to have been killed execution style. Authorities said Natalie Corona was investigating a traffic accident when someone calmly walked up to her and shot her. The suspect, who later shot and killed himself, lived just a few blocks from the accident scene.

 * ... CASA: Amy Travis has been appointed the new executive director of the Court Appointed Special Advocartes (CASA), replacing longtime director Colleen McGauley who recently retired. Travis worked under McGauley for years before leaving to work at OneLegacy, but was lured back after McGauley decided to retire.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My dogs don’t understand why I have to leave the house everyday, and quite frankly, neither do I."

 * ... BRIAN DIGNAN: Brian Dignan has resigned as athletic director of Garces Memorial High School, but will stay on as head men's basketball coach. In a Facebook post, Dignan said he wanted to spend more time with his family and noted that Gino Lacava would replace him as AD. Dignan previously spent a decade as an assistant basketball coach at CSUB and he also coached at Bakersfield Christian High School. Meanwhile Dignan's wife, former TV weather person Melissa Dignan, has also taken on a new job with Environmental Safety Solutions. Congrats to them both.

 * ... HEATHER LAGANELLI: One of the pioneers of the locally sourced farm to table movement, Heather Laganelli, has purchased the building that houses her downtown restaurant, Locale Farm to Table. Laganelli tries to use food and meat products produced no father than 100 miles from Bakersfield, and her creative culinary touch has created a strong and loyal following. Her restaurant is located across from the downtown Post Office in the old Vincent's Cyclery Building. She also purchased an adjacent building that once housed a silversmith and a cobbler, and she plans to convert that into a "to go" restaurant sometime later this year. (Pictured is one of Heather's desert creations)

 * ... CRUELTY: By now we have all heard about the woman who was shamed for riding a 
Bird scooter and dragging along a dog. The story recently appeared in London and the post has gone viral on social media. If you missed it, here is the original post: "While riding bikes downtown on A and 20th street, we watched this awesome human being riding one of the Bird Scooter’s at about 15 MPH dragging this poor dog behind her by a leash. The dog was on its side and we watched it being drug at least 100 yards and there’s no telling how long she had been dragging it for before we saw her. You can see that its paws are all completely bloody. I was unable to get a good picture of the poor dogs side. Sat on the phone with BPD while following her all the way back to an apartment on 24th St. She had the nerve to tell us that “shit happens, just like with kids”! Ummm yeah I don’t drag my kids down the street by a leash. If only she would have been a guy! She told me that she was going to call the cops on me for harassment and threatened me but she sure didn’t open the door and have something to say when the police went knocking on the door. I hope to see you again girly! Feel free to share this post. " Since then police have interviewed the woman and said the dog has been treated and will fully recover. Stay tuned to see if charges are filed.

 * ... MEMORIES: I found this on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, with this caption: "The first constructed building on the now BHS (Kern County High School) campus was in 1885 and it was called the Commercial Building. The building stood where current Elm Grove is with several of the original 1895 driveway palm trees still standing."

In just a few short hours we will all be voting. Watching the Latino turnout, Couch and Maggard fight for their jobs and Providence Strategic Consulting throws a soiree

Monday, November 5, 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.

 * ... ELECTIONS: If you are into local politics as I am, you will be watching the outcome of a slew of hot local races on Tuesday. But forget about the national implications for a second and remember the old refrain: all politics are local. So first, keep an eye on the Latino turnout, and if they swing

Democratic (as expected) or Republican. That no doubt will play out in the 4th Supervisor District where David Couch is vying for reelection. In the 3rd District, can Mike Maggard fend off Jeff Heinle, and in the Assembly, can incumbent Rudy Salas contend with challenger Justin Mendes? (By the way this is a race in which both candidates will spend a combined total of around $3 million). And then there are the twin sales tax issues for both the city and the county, the dueling marijuana initiatives and Prop 6 which seeks to repeal the gas tax. It will be a full few days and we will watch the results.

 * ... BIG QUESTIONS: One of the things to look for Tuesday: are we seeing the end of the "old guard" in Kern County because of demographic shifts in the electorate? Can you image if both David Couch and Mike Maggard were defeated on the Board of Supervisors? If Grace Vallejo beats Couch walking away, what does that say about the emerging strength of the Latino vote in Kern County? And are the Latinos a lock for the Democrats? Justin Mendes is a formidable candidate against Assemblyman Rudy Salas, but does he have enough support to push him past Salas and his deep campaign coffers? Even the down ballot race for an open seat on the Kern High School District raises important issues. Bryan Colebrook, backed by Cathy Abernathy's Western Pacific Research, fumbled badly in implying his opponent Jenifer Pitcher was not qualified because she is single and has no children. Will the vaunted Abernathy machine be able to push him past the finish line?

 * ...GAVIN NEWSOM: Have you seen pictures of the truck following the Gavin Newsom bus around the state? Check it out here:

 * ... PROVIDENCE CONSULTING: I ran into CASA's Colleen McGauley at the annual soiree that Providence Strategic Consulting put on at The Mark restaurant. Providence owner Tracy Leach always puts on a good show, providing an excellent opportunity to network and catch up with old (and new) friends. McGauley was there, and we had a chance to talk about her decision to leave CASA after 17 years. She said it was her call to step aside, citing how large and involved the organization had grown over the years. She will no doubt remain in the non-profit world, and when she lands a new job, we will report it here. Others I spotted there were Kevin Burton, Holly Arnold, Rick Kreiser, David Couch, Perry Finzel, Barry Zoeller, Cindy Pollard, Beatris Espericueta Sanders, Derek Jeffery and so many more.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You know it's a big game day when your husband walks in the bedroom at 10 a.m. and nonchalantly says, 'Wanna beer?'"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Life is short. Make sure you spent most of your time arguing about politics with strangers on the internet."

 * ... ART IN THE PARK: Sometimes it is the small things that uplift us. That's how I felt when I saw so many of the electrical and power boxes along Panorama Park painted by local artists, a brilliant move that enlivens the area and deters graffiti artists. Supervisor Mike Maggard teamed up with local artist David Gordon of the Arts Council of Kern to have artists do the painting. Panorama Park now has "art in the park" so to speak.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this grainy old photo of the mouth of the canyon when it was just a dirt road, compliments of the Facebook page Kern County of Old.

Colleen McGauley out at CASA, Memorial's Jon Van Boening gets a big promotion and KERN radio host Ralph Bailey mixes it up with KHSD candidate Bryan Colebrook

Friday, November 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.

 * ... BRYAN COLEBROOK: We are within a week of the mid-term elections and things are getting hot, not only among the candidates but between some candidates and the press. On the local level, KERN radio host Ralph Bailey mixed it up with Kern High School District candidate Bryan

Colebrook in a less than four minute interview that ended with Bailey abruptly ending the interview. At issue: Colebrook's statement questioning why his opponent Jenifer Pitcher is running when she doesn't have children and is single. Things got hot and the interview went to hell. Colebrook and Pitcher are running neck and neck, so we are left to wonder: will this help or hurt Pitcher, or Colebrook? The Valley Voice, an acerbic online newsletter, posted a video calling Bailey the "town drunk" and saying he basically ambushed Colebrook. Your take?



 * ... DIGNITY HEALTH: Dignity Health, which operates the two local Mercy Hospitals and Memorial Hospital, is going to grow in a big way when it merges with Catholic Health Initiatives, creating a $28 billion health system giant with 700 facilities in 28 states. The deal was announced at the end of last year and is expected to close by the end of this year. CHI is based in Colorado and it operates 103 hospitals, including four academic health centers and major teaching hospitals. Dignity operates hospitals in California, Arizona and Nevada.

 * ... VAN BOENING: The pending merger may explain why Memorial President Jon Van Boening has just been promoted at Dignity, moving into a position making him responsible for the business operations of seven hospitals in Dignity's Central California service area. Van Boening, who has been president of Memorial since 2001, will retain an office in Bakersfield. Meanwhile a search has begun for a new president of Memorial Hospital.

 * ... 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."

 * ... MCGAULEY: After 17 years as head of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Colleen McGauley is out as its director. No one is saying what really happened (there is a story there somewhere) but CASA said in a news release that McGauley is moving to a new position as senior advisor. Stay tuned.

 * ... GRIMMWAY: Hats off to the employees of Grimmway Farms who spent Saturday helping clean up the area around Lamont. More than 200 employee volunteers and their families pitched in to help clean parks, road and walkways throughout the community.

 * ... MEMORIES: Thanks to the Facebook page Kern County of Old for sharing this old photo of the Grapevine, then and now.

CASA puts on its annual fund raiser and remembering the 1970 student riots at UC Santa Barbara

* ... CASA GALA: One of the biggest social events of the weekend was held Friday when the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Kern County (CASA) held its annual fund raiser at the Moorea Banquet Centre off Harris Road. I'm always encouraged when the community turns out in mass to support  non-profits like CASA, and this event was no exception. CASA director Colleen McGauley told me they had 330 folks there, all bidding on silent and live auctions and dining on some excellent food and wine. There's not enough room here to note all the donors and supporters who were there, but among those I spotted included Bill and Whitney Rector, Steve and Nancy Sewell, Pat and Robin Paggi, David Coffey, John and Susie Falgatter, David and Catherine Gay, Pat and Roger Christy, Dan and Mikie Hay, John and Sonja Bush, Twila Klassen and Dave Urner, Joe and Jan Drew and Ernie and Shelly Phoenix, among others.

 * ... MORE GAUCHOS: Reader Joan Knowlden wrote to say that her husband, John Schumacher, was a student at UC Santa Barbara during the infamous student riots of 1970 when a branch of the Bank of America was burned. She said her husband "was walking home from school and walked into the bank after the doors were off. He looked around and thought 'this is probably not a good place to be if the cops come' and left the building." Schumacher and his sister, Mary King (valedictorian at Garces Memorial High in 1969), both graduated from UCSB and returned to Bakersfield, where they both now teach at Lakeside Junior High School. Thanks for writing Joan. By the way, Joan is an alum of Cal State Bakersfield.

 * ... GAUCHOS VERSUS ROADRUNNERS: Speaking of UC Santa Barbara, one alum reminded me that the Lady Gauchos will play the Cal State Bakersfield women at the Icardo Center next Saturday, March 6, at 5 p.m.

   * ... LA BOHEME: I heard from Ron Gallington that his son Aaron, a junior at Pepperdine University, is performing the lead role of Rodolphe in Puccini's LA Boheme at the university. Last summer Pepperdine sent Aaron and co-star Carolina Uribe to Heidelberg, Germany, for two months to study for the role and perform in Germany, Austria and Italy. Aaron is a theater and music major at Pepperdine and is a 2007 graduate of Liberty High School, where his proud father said he thrived "under the tutelage of his instructors Mr. Ware and Mr. Mac."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you have debated the merits of skiing at Lake Ming versus Buena Vista," and "the best restaurants in town serve pickled tongue!"