Bakersfield braces for a cold winter of crime and vandalism, a fed-up Portland finally moves to oust the homeless and celebrating 100,000 spay neuters by the non profit Critters Without Litters

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.

 * ... WINTER IS COMING: Winter is coming and with it the expected spike in seasonal crime. It's hard to think of petty crime getting any worse here, and for the most part residents - and of course the politicians who are supposed to do something about all this  - have learned to live with an ugly new reality of life in Bakersfield. You'd think there would be more of an urgency to clean the streets, but with a few rare exceptions (supervisor candidate Jeff Flores among them) most local elected officials just choose to ignore it. Cars are broken into nightly in the best of

neighborhoods, catalytic converters disappear in broad daylight, park restrooms have been taken over by drug addicts, empty buildings burn with frightening regularity as the number of mentally ill homeless on the streets seems to grow by the day. A businesswoman comes back from cancer treatment to find her downtown office broken into and a mess. A new business owner, proud of what she has built, finds two windows shattered during the night. A third person, an employee of a business on Stockdale Highway, reports to work one day to fire a fire smoldering in a dumpster. So what can we do? Not much it seems, but if you are a homeowner never leave anything in your car or truck, leave your outside porch lights on, install a security camera, consult with neighbors and when it is time to vote, kick out any public official who minimizes what has come of our community. (random photos around town)

 * ... PORTLAND RESPONDS: Want to know how bad the homeless issue has become? Even in Portland, home to a mindset that has allowed homeless encampments to flourish, city officials appear to have had enough. This week city crews moved into a major homeless encampment at Laurelhurst Park, located in a high income neighborhood, and cleaned the place out. As they cleared the camps bulldozers moved in and built multiple pickleball courts and a skate ramp. (file photo of Laurelhurst Park)

 * ... ENFORCEMENT WORKS: Most people involved in the homeless issue focus on providing permanent housing as the answer, yet that does little or nothing for the business people and residents who are subjected to the general craziness and lawlessness that vagrants bring. But enforcement (keeping vagrants on the move) does work, just like we saw in Portland, Just take a look at the Smart and Final parking lot on F Street, one of the city's longtime gritty venues for the homeless to gather. After a rash of vandalism, the homeless were moved out several weeks ago and - for now at least - the problem is gone. 

* ... CRITTERS WITHOUT LITTERS: Critters Without Litters is the only low cost, spay neuter non profit in Bakersfield devoted to dealing with our pet explosion problem. And now, just a few weeks from the organization's 10th anniversary, it reached a new milestone: Critters has now spayed or neutered 100,000 pets. "It's a mind boggling number," said Vicky Thrasher, executive director. "I still remember our first few weeks when we wondered how we'd ever get up to 20 surgeries a day." Critters routinely provides 70 to 80 spay/neuter surgeries a day for pets and feral or free roaming cats in the community, four days a week. They also offer a walk in vaccine clinic Monday through Thursday where anywhere from 120 to 180 animals arrive each day for vaccines. Critters Without Litters is located off White Lane on Stine Road. For more information go to www.critterswithoutlitters.org. (photos courtesy or Critters Without Litters)

 * ... SODA CRACKERS: One of the hottest local bands around, The Soda Crackers, is returning to the Kern County Museum for a special show on Sunday, Nov. 13. The band features brothers Zane and Cooper Adamo (sons of photographer Felix Adamo and author wife Teresa) and their bandmates to create a Western swing sound closely associated with the Bakersfield Sound. Tickets normally sell out so order them at https://www.eventbrite.com/.../the-soda-crackers-present...(photos by Felix Adamo)

 * .... MEMORIES: It's easy to forget how big Buck Owens was in his prime, particularly among Asian crowds who embraced his Bakersfield Sound. This picture says it all, compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. The caption: "Buck Owens in mid 1970's on tour in Sydney, Australia. His manager on left is Jack McFadden, and on the right is Banjo player Ronnie Jackson. This was a month long tour in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Sold-out shows wherever they appeared."

Let's kick 2020 to the trash bin and start anew, local hospitals seeking traveling nurses at $200 an hour and local lad Cooper Adamo heads east for a prestigious fellowship

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.

 * ... HAPPY NEW YEAR: About the kindest thing you can say about the year 2020 is "good riddance." More colorful language may be appropriate but let's leave it at that. Here's to everyone for a more

prosperous, healthy, predictable and kind new year.

 * ... TRAVELING NURSES: Did you know that traveling ICU nurses are in such short supply during this COVID-19 pandemic that they are demanding salaries in the $200 an hour range? And that is even if you can find a nurse at that rate. That's the word from Matt Constantine, director of Kern County Public Heath, who said local hospitals are competing against themselves for skilled nurses who are now demanding hourly wages in the $200 range. To save yourself the bother, a $200 hourly rate comes to $8,000 a week or $416,000 a year. And many might say they are worth every penny.

 * ... COVID SURGE: Here's a dirty little secret no one really wants to talk about. Our local hospitals are so full of Covid patients that ambulances often drive through the streets of Bakersfield looking for a medical facility to place their patients. With the beds full and elective surgery all but put on hold, patients will other illnesses are often held on the local ambulances for an hour or more as drivers try to find a hospital that will admit them.

 * ... RISING STAR: Cooper Adamo, son of author Teresa Adamo and photographer Felix, heads to Washington, D.C., to attend the swearing in of Congressman elect David Valadao who is returning to Congress after defeating Democrat T.J. Cox. Cooper was a regional field director for the Valadao For Congress campaign for the 21st Congressional district seat, focusing on the Kern County region of the district. Following the swearing in, Cooper heads to the John Jay Institute  in  Langhorne, Pennsylvania to start his four month fellowship. Once there, Cooper will delve into  readings and topics from interdisciplinary studies in theology, philosophy, ethics, history, politics, culture, and jurisprudence. The John Jay fellowship program is intended to prepare Fellows for careers in public service, whether they take shape in the public, non-profit, or for-profit spheres.

 * ... FACES OF THE HOMELESS: I was struck by these black and white pictures taken at the Christmas dinner at the Mission of Kern County. Hats off to local photographer Mark Duffel for some amazing photography.

 * ... SHANNON GROVE: Did you catch this vintage picture of Shannon Grove when she was in the Army boot camp? The state senator posted it on her Facebook page this weekend.

 * ... MEMORIES: Here are a couple of pictures for all you fans of the old Ridge Route, the circuitous and dangerous road that connected Los Angeles with Bakersfield before Interstate 5 was built. These pictures are featured on a Facebook page devoted to the old California state route 99. They were taken in 1932 during a fire on the Ridge Route. The last picture shows the new route and its official opening in 1933.

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.

Friday Bako Bits: more on those rattlesnakes about town, big time Spring events are coming up and Metro Galleries features best of the best show

 * … RATTLESNAKES: Rattlesnakes are common in our area, but the long drought seems to have brought out more on the bike path, roads and hiking trails. Here is some sound advice on how to deal with them while protecting your pets, compliments of Tommie Sue Self. "We live out in

the northeast, Rio Bravo area where there are lots of rattlesnakes and other wild critters. So, we have our two dogs get  annual rattlesnake venom and separate Leptospirosis immunizations from awesome Dr. Rose Rakow or other great vets at Stiern's Veterinary Hospital. The Leptospirosis is to protect them from what's commonly carried by all the coyotes, skunks, rabbits or other wild critters we have roaming around out here. That time several years ago when fire burned the mountainsides above the Kern River Canyon, the fire also drove a lot of mice etc. out of the hills, inundating us that spring/summer. The rattlesnakes followed, and showed up in folks' yards, garages, or on the streets and in vacant lots. That convinced us to add the rattlesnake shots to our dogs' regimen. If a rattler does bite them, they'd still need to see the vet, but they're not likely to die if immunized."

 * … EVENTS: Are you ready for event season in Bakersfield? If not, get out your calendar and consider some terrific events coming our way. First up is the return of the Macaroni and Cheese Festival at Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, April 18. On Thursday, April 23, three members of the Desert Rose Band (Chris Hillman, Herb Pederson and John Jorgensen) will be in town as part of Rick Krieser's acoustic Guitar Masters series. It is set for Bakersfield College with tickets going for $32, or $17 for students, available at Vallitex. On Saturday, May 9, the Kern County Nut Festival returns at the Kern County Museum, followed by a huge day on Saturday, May 23, when Imbibe Wine and Spirits will host a craft beer festival at Cal State Bakersfield and George Martin's rock and country concert will be competing for your attention at the Kern County Museum.

 * … BEST OF THE BEST: Meanwhile, the Metro Galleries is celebrating its eighth anniversary in business with a terrific "Best of the Best" show at its 19th Street location. The show opens today and will feature some of the most popular paintings that have been sold at the gallery. Make sure to stop by this weekend to check out some really terrific art.

 * …DRILLERS: Two Bakersfield High Drillers held a reunion of sorts in Scotland this week. Cooper Adamo, son of Felix and Teresa Adam, and Katy Baker, daughter of Rob and Sally Baker, shared memories when Cooper showed up as part of the Bakersfield Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert Tour. Katy is there wrapping up her second year of a five-year veterinary program at the University of Glasgow. Katy and her boyfriend, Erich, attended the BYSO concert at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, reporting that Coop and his fellow musicians did Bakersfield proud. Katy is a class of 2006 Driller and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Cooper is a junior at BHS.

 * … SMALL WORLD: Local businessman Scott Mitchell was visiting San Antonio recently with his wife Teresa when he ran into a stranger in the Riverwalk area. "He asked if I was local or a tourist. I said tourist from Bakersfield, and he replied that he loved Bakersfield because his favorite musician was from there! It is Monty Byrom, and he knew a lot about Monty. I told him that I would try to get the message to Monty that Eddie from San Antonio is his biggest fan."

 * … MORE GOOD FORM: And I will end with this uplifting story from Warren Junior High, where one of their students, Brandyn Tinlin, is battling cancer. Each year the school holds its own Relay for Life event before spring break, but Tinlin's disease brought it home in a special way. Said principal George Thornburgh: "We challenged our students and had the theme of Be Brandyn Strong.  Over the years we have raised tens of thousands of dollars for the American Cancer society. Well, this year our kids hit a homerun. As of this morning the Wildcat Family has raised almost $10,000 in a few weeks and we strongly believe we will go over $10,000 by the time we finish counting. We also have a surprise visitor.  For the first time this year Brandyn will actually get to step foot on our campus and walk (actually he is confined to a wheel chair) with his fellow Wildcats. We also hope that Brandyn will get to present to our student body the final amount of our efforts right before the walk."