Water level at Lake Isabella rises amid predictions we will have water in the river through the summer, a former priest has a bad day in court and Bakersfield loses two prominent businessmen and notables

 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.

 * ... LAKE ISABELLA: All this rain is finally having a positive impact on filling some of the states reservoirs, which were drained dangerously low during the long drought. Closer to home the rains almost doubled the amount of water stored at Lake Isabella, going from a low of about 135,000 acre feet to

around 265,000 acre feet now. Mark Mulkay, Kern Water Master, told KGET it was "a once-in-a-generation event that’s going to happen this year. There’s going to be a lot of water in the river all year long.” Mulkay said. Depending on the depth of the water in the river, that means we could be seeing a lot of kayaking, canoeing and swimming this summer along the Kern River through town. (file photo of Lake Isabella)

 * ... GOOD NEWS? Is there finally some good news for our beleaguered downtown? Did the powers at be finally listen to the people and businesses who have been crying for help for years? Hopefully that answer is a firm yes now that the City Council has authorized city staff to  place bids on 13 different properties that are deemed eyesores, and potential fire hazards. This is a terrific start and it deserves our applause, but we should all be aware that the city may need to pony up yet more money to buy and refurbish these old properties. It's a start in the right direction.

 

 * ... CRAIG HARRISON COURT LOSS: It has been a bad - and expensive - week for Craig Harrison following yet another loss in court, the latest setback for the embattled former monsignor who is fighting allegations he spent part of his career as a repeated abuser. Harrison and his civil defense team, led by local attorney Craig Edmonston, have been ordered to pay $219,800 in attorney costs after their defamation lawsuit against Stephen Brady was tossed out of court. Brady was among a handful of people that Harrison sued for defamation, and so far his defense team has struck out in court, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees without a single win show for their efforts. In addition to the lawsuit against Brady, Harrison's defamation lawsuit against former monk Ryan Gilligan was also thrown out of court. If Harrison is ordered to pay those attorney fees as well, he could be on the hook for almost a half million dollars in fees. And all this before Harrison even steps foot in trial to defend two civil lawsuits from men who claim to have been abused by the former priest. Those cases, and thousands of dollars in attorney fees, are making their way through the courts. Edmonston told KGET it is unlikely Harrison can pay the fees. “He spent his entire life in the church, and he was compensated slightly above subsistence,” the attorney said. While that may be true, Harrison's lifestyle has been anything but subsistence level. He lives in a downtown home valued at more than $700,000 (owned by supporters) routinely posts pictures of himself on an oceanview property on the central coast and often takes long excursions to Italy with friends. Stay tuned to see how all that plays out in court. (file photos of Harrison and Craig Edmonston)

 * ... REST IN PEACE: Our community has lost some good people lately, business men and women and community members whose individual sweat and toil helped make Bakersfield a better place. Some of these names may not be familiar, but each deserves a recognition for being part of the fabric of a community we call home.

  HENRY MARTIN "MARTY" MAYFOHRT Jr.: Marty Mayfohrt lost his battle with cancer on March 10 after spending a lifetime raising his family and working in the San Joaquin Valley. He was a graduate of West High and CSUB and worked as an accountant with Lou Barbich and Geoff King before he got "the car bug" and became general manager of Bill Wright Toyota and later Family Motors. In 2000 Marty realized a lifelong dream and purchased the Madera Auto Center and moved to Clovis where he lived with his wife, Lela, and daughters Lauren and Michelle. A proud graduate of CSUB, Marty was a member of the downtown Rotary Club, Seven Oaks Country Club and other civic organizations. He was 68. Marty is shown here with his wife, Lela.

 JOHN  BROCK JR. A descendant of the family that ran the famous Brock's Department store, John Brock Jr. was a lifelong resident of Bakersfield and a prominent member of the business community. After his family sold the department store Brock joined Gregory Bynum and Associates in 1988 where he was integral in hundreds of developments around down. John graduated with a BA degree from Stanford and a Master's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California. A true gentleman with a soft touch and dry wit, John is shown with his wife, Ginette. John was 75 years ago.

 * ... MEMORIES: From the archives of the Kern County History Fans' page on Facebook comes this look at Guarantee Shoe Center over the years.

McCarthy votes against protecting gay marriage and interracial marriages, more older Americans than ever are living alone and The Botanist eatery opens on 18th Street

 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.

 * ... RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT: Rep. Kevin McCarthy joined 168 other Republicans in opposing legislation that would protect same-sex and interracial marriages, a curious and questionable vote given the influence and general acceptance of gay men and women in Kern County. Joined by the

more conservative members of his caucus, McCarthy was on the losing end of a vote that would protect same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decades long battle for nationwide recognition of such unions. President Biden is expected to promptly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, a relief for hundreds of thousands of couples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized those marriages nationwide. The bipartisan legislation, which passed 258-169, would also protect interracial unions by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” Rep. David Valadao, like McCarthy a Republican who won reelection, broke with McCarthy and votes for the Respect for Marriage Act, reflecting the sentiments of his largely Democratic leaning district.

 * ... THE SNUB: Speaking of McCarthy, presumedly in line to become the next Speaker of the House, he was publicly snubbed by the family of fallen Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick during a ceremony honoring the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal. Gladys Sicknick, the officer's mother, and her family members chose not to make eye contract with either McCarthy or Sen. Mitch McConnell for allegedly appeasing former President Trump and his right-wing followers.

 * ... PRIESTS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE: Time is running out for victims of sexual abuse to file legal actions in accordance with a California law that will expire by the end of this year. On September 14, 2019, the California Child Victims Act was signed into law. The Act reformed the statute of limitation and opened a window for previously time-barred survivors of child sexual abuse to seek accountability and compensation in civil courts for the pain and suffering they’ve carried for decades. The California Child Victims Act window closes on December 31. One of the leading law firms that holds wayward priests accountable, Minneapolis based Jeff Anderson and Associates, represents numerous men who claim to have been abused by priests over the years. This is the same law firm that included former Bakersfield Monsignor Craig Harrison in a list of Diocese of Fresno priests who have been accused of sexual misdeeds. Harrison, whose picture and background is included in the law firm's roundup of accused priests, faces two lawsuits from men who are seeking civil damages against Harrison, who has denied the allegations. Harrison was suspended by the Catholic Church after sexual abuse allegations arose and a church investigation later found the allegations "credible." Harrison responded by suing the church - that lawsuit died when it was tossed out - and he later left the church. 

* ... REPARATIONS: So how do you feel about the state of California paying out millions of dollars in reparations to people who descended from slave families? Well, that is exactly what the state is doing via its nine member Reparations Task Force which is exploring inequities in housing, incarceration, running black businesses and health care. In one scenario, the committee threw out a figure of $223,2000 each just to address housing for black residents.

 * ... LIVING ALONE: A growing percentage of Americans are living alone as they enter their golden years, continuing a trend that has been accelerating for decades. Consider this: in 1960 just 13 percent of American households had a single occupant but that figure today is around 30 percent. For those our 50 that percentage rises to 36 percent. "Nearly 26 million Americans 50 and older now live alone, up from 15 percent in 2000. Older people have always been more likely than others to live by themselves, and now that age group - baby boomers and Gen Xers- makes up a bigger share of the population than at any time in the nations history," the New York Times said. 

 *... RIP ROB BAKER: We lost a prince of a man over Thanksgiving when longtime Paramount Farming manager Rob Baker died while cycling with friends through Hart Park. Friends said Baker, 66, collapsed on his bike while heading back into town after a tour of Hart Park with two other riders, who were in town with their families visiting for Thanksgiving. Baker apparently died at the scene. Known for his wit, kindness and devotion to family and to Bakersfield High where his children went to school, Baker was a fixture downtown where he grew up and lived. Self deprecating and known for his rapier like sarcasm and wry smile, Baker was blessed with an endless source of empathy and kindness that he doted on his family, friends and acquaintances. He is survived by his wife Sally Baker and their four children Thomas, Katie, Sarah and Maggie.

 

 * ... COLLEGE DEGREES: Kern County has one of the lowest percentages of colleges graduates in the state. By point of comparison: 35 percent of adults over 25 hold a bachelor’s degree in California; in Kern County, it’s 17 percent.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Per the SCOTUS case today, I ask this only to spur conversation:

Should the government be able to force a Jewish graphic designer to design invitations to a “The Holocaust was a hoax” party? Or force a Muslim designer to design a “Muhammad was a pedophile” poster?"

 * ... THE BOTANIST: A new restaurant has opened downtown on east 18th Street, a popular stretch of eateries, restaurants and shops dubbed "Eastchester." Owned by the same couple that runs Cafe Smitten, The Botanist is an old style food and drink place with loads of charm and an inviting menu. The Botanist plans on a Sunday brunch menu soon.

 * ... MEMORIES: A couple of wonderful old pictures here, thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page. The first is Chester avenue around 1890 and the second is a shot at Dewar's candy shop around 1909.

Local business executive Majid Mojibi killed after being hit by a car on F Street, we welcome Fall after a brutal summer and Jeff Pickering writes a book on his own molestation at the hands of a family doctor

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. 

* ... RIP MAJID: I was saddened to hear about the tragic death of Majid Mojibi, the local businessman who ran the San Joaquin Oil Refinery and invested heavily in downtown.  Mojibi was killed last weekend while crossing F Street to attend a concert. Few details are available to know exactly what happened. Interesting, it was Mojibi who recently purchased the old Greyhound bus station downtown and razed it, presumably for a multi-floor apartment building. No word on how his death may affect those plans. (Bakersfield Californian photo of Majid with former Supervisor Michael Rubio and wife)

 * ... WELCOME FALL: We had a brutal summer, hottest in a long time, so don't blame us if we spend a few minutes giving a big welcome to Fall, which started today. In celebration, enjoy this local photo from JoJo Parades Butingen who regularly provides stunning nature photography.

 

* ... CASE COMPLETE: An appellate court has officially put the last nail in the coffin of Craig Harrison's slander lawsuit against a former protege and monk who accused him of inappropriate contact with young men. The court ruled Harrison's failed lawsuit as a "case complete" after denying Harrison's request for a rehearing. This ends Harrison's legal offensive against former colleague Ryan Gilligan, the young Bakersfield man who worked with Harrison at St. Francis Parish and later studied to become a Benedictine monk. Harrison was suspended from his duties as a priest after the Fresno Diocese eventually found there was "credible" evidence to believe that as many as 7 young men had been subjected to Harrison's inappropriate behavior. Harrison later resigned from the church and the Diocese has gone about the process of removing all signage that associated Harrison as a monsignor at St. Francis, including one naming a youth center after Harrison. One of the few places where Harrison's name remains in public, at least recently, was at the small chapel room at Dignity Health's Memorial Hospital where his name remains on the door. Harrison has not been charged with any criminal offenses because the statute of limitations expired, but he faces multiple civil lawsuits from men who claimed they were abused by Harrison while he was serving as a priest.

 * .... JEFF PICKERING: Meanwhile as long as we are talking about people in power being accused of lewd behavior, former Bakersfield non profit executive Jeff Pickering is publishing a book detailing his own encounter with a family doctor who allegedly repeatedly molested Pickering after he suffered a softball injury as a teenager. Formerly head of the Kern Community Foundation, Pickering now lives in Florida where he heads a similar foundation and only recently began to explore a chapter in his life that he had long suppressed. His book, available for pre order now on Amazon, details in graphic detail his molestation at the hands of an Orlando family doctor when he was just a teenager, and how society inadvertently joined the cover up as so often is these cases.

 * ... ART SHOW: A show featuring the works of artist Ryan Rickard opens at Bird Dog Arts at the Outlets of Tejon this weekend. Rickard, who studied at the Savannah Center of Art and Design (SCAD), will feature works of art derived from old discarded objects he found locally, including a propane tank and other items. Definitely a show worth checking out. (photo by The Californian)

 * ... MEMORIES: Let's take a walk down memory lane with a few entries into the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, a wonderful place to catch up on our history. Enjoy.

Did the Diocese of Fresno fail to include five more priests on its list of "credibly accused" priests who have been accused of preying on young men and women? And what secrets will the church personnel files reveal about how the church covered up and concealed priest abuse?

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. 

 * ... SEXUAL PREDATORS: One thing seems certain about the ongoing sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church: it just never seems to end. And it gets worse virtually every day. Communities like Bakersfield who have seen priests outed because of accusations of sexual abuse - the rise and dramatic fall of former priest Craig Harrison is a classic example - are understandably weary of hearing how a once

beloved priest has been accused of such sickening deeds. But all this isn't ending anytime soon, and now new allegations have emerged implicating five more priests who were once assigned to the Diocese of Fresno. Jeff Anderson and Associates, a law firm that specializes in priest abuse, alleges the Diocese omitted five priests who had been accused of sexual abuse over the years. They include Rev. Efren Cirilio Neri, Monsignor Anthony Moreno, Father Gaspar Bautista, Rev. Orlando Alberto Battaglioia and Father Edgardo Arrunataegui.  Battaglioia and Baustista have since died while the other three are believed to be alive. Anderson & Associates said the names of these priests were left off the list of "credibly accused" priests issued by the Diocese of Fresno. That list, which included Harrison of Bakersfield, is viewed as important because with it the church is acknowledging that there is credible evidence to believe the men who have come forward to accuse the priests.

 * ... AB 218: What's the point in outing dead priests as abusers? Lawyers for victim advocates hope that by doing so more victims will come forward to take advantage of the California Child Victims Act (Assembly Bill 218) which gave survivors of childhood sexual abuse a chance at justice and healing. 

The law opened a three year window, beginning January 1, 2020, for survivors of any age to pursue justice, no matter how old they are, when the abuse occurred, or if their abuser is alive or dead. It also 

increased the time limit for commencing an action for recovery of damages suffered as a result of childhood sexual assault to the age of 40 or within 5 years of the date the survivor discovers that psychological injury or illness occurring after the age of 18 was caused by sexual assault (whichever is later).

 * ... PODCAST SPECIAL: For more details on the abuse scandal check out the latest Bakersfield Observed podcast where I interview Joelle Casteix, an abuse survivor herself who has devoted her life toward ending sexual abuse and exposing the abusers. Listen to this expert talk about why the church personnel files may hold the secrets to what really happened.

* ... PERVERT PRIESTS: This may not come as a surprise but the sex scandal in the Catholic Church is taking its toll on parishioners who seem to be increasingly either boycotting Mass or leaving the church altogether. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, 27 percent of U.S. Catholics said they had reduced their Mass attendance because of the abuse crisis. In fact, a survey by Georgetown University found that 31 percent of all U.S. Catholics said the abuse crisis "made them embarrassed to identify themselves as Catholic." And there is this: 26 percent of U.S. Catholics have reduced the amount of money they donate to their local parish. That seems to be happening locally over at St. Francis Parish in the fallout of a former local monsignor, Craig Harrison, who has been accused by multiple men of sexual abuse over several decades. While Harrison seems to enjoy the loyalty of a small group in town, some of whom are withholding their weekly contributions to the church, the once popular priest faces a future that looks nothing like his past. The lesson: sex and abuse scandals are easier to ignore until they come to your town.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My daughter: Can we stop for ice cream, and then not get any for John? Me: Stop being awful to your brother. Someday you might need a kidney. Her: Mom, you know how much water I drink. I will never need that."

 * ... MEMORIES: This post is compliments of Mark Peterson who shared it on the Kern County of Old Facebook page. It's all about Gordon's Ferry here: "Gordon's Ferry was located on the Kern River and was later replaced by the China Grade Loop Bridge: Actually 4 bridges have been built over the history: The first was a wooden bridge that replaced the ferry in about the 1930s (If I am correct) That bridge later replaced with a Cement bridge that was washed out during the flood in the 1950s and rebuilt, then replaced again in 1992 with the current bridge of today."

Interstate 5 in California ranks as one of the most dangerous highways in the nation, a publisher with deep roots to Kern County retires and City Serve raises $558,000 with the Mayor's Ball

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. 

 * ... DANGEROUS ROADS: Some of the most dangerous interstate highways in the country are located right here in California. According to the insurance website The Zebra, Interstate 5 is ranked No. 3 out of the 10 most dangerous roads in the country. The website also found that California contains portions of

four of the deadliest U.S. interstates, spanning from Northern California to Southern California: I-5, I-15, I-40, and I-80. Interstate 95, which goes through major cities like New York, Baltimore, Boston, Jacksonville, Florida and Miami, Florida, was found to the most dangerous highway in the U.S.

 * ... LOGAN MOLEN RETIRING: A longtime editor and journalist with deep ties to Kern County has retired. That's the word from Logan Molen who announced his retirement as publisher of the Steamboat (Co.) Pilot after 3 1/2 years. If that name is familiar it should be: Molen served in a variety of editing and management positions at The Bakersfield Californian over the course of more than 20 years, and he also served as publisher and CEO of the family-run Eugene (Oregon) Register-Guard before joining Swift Communications in Steamboat.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Sorry I couldn't respond to your emails. Supply chains are messed up right now."

 * ... KERN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: Hats off to Aaron Falk, formerly a district field manager for Rep. Kevin McCarthy and now newly hired as head of the Kern Community Foundation. Falk succeeds Dr. Kristen Beall Watson, who held the position for six years before leaving to serve as chief of staff to the president at California State University, Bakersfield. Falk takes over as CEO of perhaps one of the most undervalued non -profits in the community. It arguably helps more people throughout Kern County, particularly via its Women's and Girl's Fund, than most other non-profits and has grown into an important and influential voice in our community.

 * ... MAYOR'S BALL: And speaking of valuable non-profits, the CityServe organization benefitted from the annual Mayor's Ball this past weekend, an elegant evening that raised some $558,000 for the charity that aids families in need. That's almost twice the amount ($271,000) raised last year, and it drew an eclectic mix of Bakersfield representing the goodwill generated by the work of CityServe. Its success was due in no little part to the popularity of Pastor Robin Robinson, whose sheer energy and commitment has elevated her to perhaps the most popular (and effective) religious leader in town. (Her ability to tap into corporate donations for a worthy cause is impressive.) The event was held in the old Montgomery Ward building on F Street, now owned by Canyon Hills and used as a headquarters for CityServe.

 * ... ST. FRANCIS CHURCH: How many of you have seen this picture of the old St. Francis Church, circa 1920, before the 1952 earthquake destroyed it? Thanks to the Kern County of Old website for sharing.

 * ... MEMORIES: And take a look at this map, circa 1923, of the downtown area around Jastro Park. Some of the older homes have been built but others not. Thanks to Matt Revenaugh for posting this jewel.

A teacher laments the state of our public schools, a Netflix special puts the spotlight on priests who prey on young men and the victims society ignores and a son of Bakersfield returns home to share some "cosmic outlaw country at Temblor Brewing Co.

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. 

 * ... STATE OF OUR SCHOOLS: Bakersfield High school history teacher Jeremy Adams has become an important voice in the debate over the state of our public schools, and his latest essay in Newsweek magazine sends a strong message that something has gone terribly wrong. After a career of teaching both in high school and over at Cal State University Bakersfield, Adams has witnessed the decline of public

education in America, whether it be the lowering of academic standards or the lack of discipline in the clsssrooms. Earlier this week he published "Hollowed Out,"a remarkably candid and often alarming look at the state of our public schools, and now Adams is sharing his thoughts with Newsweek magazine. As Adams told Newsweek: "Amidst the vandalism and endless spigot of foul language, standing in front of students who brazenly take out their phones and start playing video games in the middle of class, walking amongst the trash that is left strewn in stairwells after lunch, phoning security to accompany 17-year-olds to the bathroom because they can't be trusted, is the American teacher who knows deep down they have lost the basic quest for decency on school campuses. Within the classroom, we have become softies, asking little, tolerating everything, knowing we are expected to take late work, knowing that open book tests are increasingly the norm, group projects are all the rage, and asking students to engage in sustained reading of texts or master large quantities of information is something a post-COVID student probably lacks the acumen to do."

 * ... PRIEST SCANDAL: For any community that has endured the upheaval of having a local priest accused of sexual abuse, there is a new documentary on Netflix that will undoubtedly hit home. The new movie is called Procession, a feature about six men who survived childhood sexual assault at the hands of Catholic priests and clergy. The film premiered earlier this month at the Telluride Film Festival, where it instantly began generating buzz as a potential Oscar player. At the heart of every abusive priest case are the accusers, who are often - as happened here in Bakersfield when former priest Craig Harrison was put on a "credibly accused" list of wayward priests - denounced as opportunists out only for themselves and money. "Procession" focuses on six men who kept the secret of their abuse for decades, sometimes at great cost to their emotional sanity and happiness. The documentary makes a convincing case that we listen to their stories before dismissing their allegations.

 * ... HERBIE BENHAM IV: Mark your calendars for Thursday, Nov. 18, when a prodigal son returns to Bakersfield to lay down some "cosmic outlaw country" for an audience at Temblor Brewing. Herb Benham IV, son of The Californian's Herb Benham, has been honing his skills in the California desert and returns to town to croon a few tunes. Herbie was born and raised here, lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco before moving to the Mojave desert and was influenced by Buck Owens and the Bakersfield Sound. His own sound has traces of out;aw country, psychedelic folks, punk rock and stadium rock but he makes it all his own. This is a show you don't want to miss. Thursday, Nov. 18, at Temblor.

 * ... SHOOTERS: In the parlance of the newspaper business, photographers are often called "shooters" because of the number of times they "shoot" pictures, and over the course of my 20-plus year career at The Bakersfield Californian I was fortunate to work with some terrific "shooters" - Felix Adamo, Casey Christie, John Harte, Henry Barrios to name a few. Casey Christie was known for his nature shots, and today I share one of his more famous pictures, the owls at CALM. Enjoy and thanks to The Californian for allowing me to republicize them.

 * ... MEMORIES: Here is a remarkable aerial view of the Garces Circle taken soon after its completion, date unknown.

The enduring horror of the image of "falling man" haunts the 9-11 anniversary, the blood feud between Bishop Joseph Brennan and accused sexual abuser Craig Harrison and fewer boys than ever are attending college

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.

 * ... SEPTEMBER 11 ANNIVERSARY: Of all the horrific images coming out of September 11, 2001, the visual of "falling man" has haunted me most. The identity of the man, seen falling upside down from an upper floor window of the World Trade Center, remains in dispute but the image stands as mute

testimony of the horror of that day. Remember this day in the appropriate way you choose, but pray we have seen the last images of "falling man."

 * ... BOY, GIRLS AND COLLEGE: There is a disturbing trend in American higher education and if it continues women will be earning college degrees at twice the rate of men. That's right, fewer men than women are going to college and even fewer men are sticking it out to earn a degree. According to the National Student Clearinghouse, at the end of the last academic year women made up 59.5 percent of college students while men accounted for just 40.5 percent. And it's worse at graduation, where after six years of college 65 percent of women received diplomas compared to just 59 percent of the men. Researchers say boys face more obstacles than women, including video games, pornography and childhood related medications.

 * ... BABIES OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE: And here is another sign of the times compliments of the National Academy of Science: more educated American women than ever had their first babies later in life and outside of marriage. In this group, about 24.5 percent of them were between the ages of 32 and 38 when they had their first child, and they weren't married. A decade ago, researchers said it was relatively rare for college educated women to have a child outside of marriage. In fact, these same researchers say non marital childbearing is increasing across all educational levels.

 * ... FRESNO DIOCESE VERSUS CRAIG HARRISON: The bad blood between the Diocese of Fresno and former priest Craig Harrison, who is facing multiple charges of sexual abuse while he was a priest, grew worse over the weekend when Bishop Joseph Brennan released a scathing letter calling into question both Harrison's past actions and his current behavior. At its core, of course, the dispute surrounds the fact that the Diocese suspended Harrison two years ago after seven men came forward to say Harrison abused them, and the fact that the Diocese investigated the claims and found them credible. That has been a difficult thing for Harrison's supporters to stomach, and they have turned their anger on their own

Bishop, arguing Brennan has an obsession with Harrison. But this story has found legs and an audience well outside of Kern County, and an organization that defends sexual abuse victims, called SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), issued this statement: "A little more than a month ago, when the Diocese of Fresno finally released its list of credibly accused' clerics, Msgr. Craig Harrison’s name appeared on it. In a media statement following, SNAP demanded that the Diocese be more transparent about their findings, what they knew, and when, as Harrison continued to repudiate these allegations. To us, refusing to acknowledge the external findings by the District Attorney and the findings of the Diocesan review board appeared to be just plain denial by Harrison. A letter from Bishop Joseph Brennan was read this past weekend to parishioners, acknowledging the Diocese had received accusations of abuse from seven children against Harrison. The allegations were first made public in April of 2019. The Bishop said that the review board for the Diocese of Fresno found each accusation 'credible,' which subsequently led to a case being opened at the Vatican against the priest. In shorter words, the judiciary tribunal in Rome will consider whether or not to officially remove the resigned Harrison from the clerical state. We applaud Bishop Brennan for taking this step toward transparency, as we believe it has answered some of our questions. More importantly, this step may well encourage others who were victimized by Harrison or another priest, nun, or religious in the Diocese to find the courage and strength to come forward and report to law enforcement. There is also still time for survivors who have been time-barred from justice to file a civil suit for damages in California, and we encourage those interested to seek legal counsel."

 * ... MEMORIES: Beautiful old picture of the El Tejon Hotel which sat on Truxtun where the Bank of America tower is today. Thanks to the good folks over at the Kern County of Old Facebook page for this one. The picture is circa 1920.

 * ... JAIL: And then there is the old Kern County Jail that was located at the corner of 16th and Eye streets in operation from  May 1894 to December 1915.