Palo Alto is home to the richest people in California, Dana Culhane Brennan moves back to Bakersfield and Felix Adamo is retiring at The Bakersfield Californian

Monday September 24, 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.

 * ... UBER WEALTHY: Where do the richest people in California live? It probably won't surprise

you when I tell you it is in Palo Alto, home of the coveted 94301 zip code and the birthplace of the Silicon Valley. According to the Los Angeles Times, the state "scooped up just under $1 billion from nearly 9,000 tax returned filed in 94301 in 2016 - more revenue than from any other zip code in California." The newspaper went on to say that residents in that single zip code paid 28 times more in taxes in 2016 than all of those living in Tehama County, 200 miles northeast of Palo Alto.

 * ... MOVING UP: Congratulations to Dana Culhane Brennan who is moving back to Bakersfield after serving on the staff of state Sen. Jean Fuller, who is being termed out of office. Brennan recently started a new job as director of Corporate and Government Affairs at Grimmway Farms.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "No reaction from my eye doctor when I playfully walked into his desk. He’s seen this schtick too many times."

 * ... FELIX ADAMO: Felix Adamo, the award winning photographer at The Bakersfield Californian, is retiring at the end of this month to spend more time on his corporate clients. Adamo is virtually without peer in the news photography business and his pictures have graced the pages of our daily newspaper for four decades. Here's a random sampling of some of his work. Enjoy.

 * ... RECYCLING: Here's a novel idea: why don't we move these pop-up "recycling centers" away from residential areas? They are magnets for the homeless and incompatible with commercial areas that back up to residences. The recycling center at the corner of Columbus and Mount Vernon is a particular eyesore.

 * ... GREEN ACRES: Check out this photo from a 1942 calendar put out by the folks who owned the old Green Acres cafe. It was located and framed by local antique colleague Sarah Kirschner. Does anyone remember this place?

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these pictures of Bakersfield back in the day long before the 1952 earthquake changed the face of the city forever.

Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams pay tribute to the Bakersfield Sound, car thieves get a lot smarter (and busier) and NOR scores a hit with its new eight-court "pickleplex" at Greenacres Park

Monday, August 13, 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.

 * ... SELF ESTEEM: So you probably heard the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce has launched a branding campaign aimed at making us all feel better about living in Bakersfield. We are

our own worst enemies, and the study has shown that those of us who live here are harder on ourselves than outsiders. The late Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathon Gold adored Bakersfield and our Basque food culture, and of course there is always the Bakersfield Sound to take pride in. And pride in our hometown was on full display at a recent concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles featuring Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams and and Steve Earle, where the song set was almost entirely devoted to Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and other Bakersfield Sound greats. (And someone was making a killing by selling Bakersfield Sound T-shirts.) Plus this: did you know that Yoakam now has a channel on SiriusXM satellite radio devoted to the Bakersfield Sound? Note to Chamber president Nick Ortiz: you can start and end your branding campaign with music and Basque food.

 * ... CRIME: There's not a neighborhood in town that hasn't been affected by crime. Burglaries, car break-in, porch thefts, you name it crime is rampant these days. The rash of car break-ins is worrisome, and now comes word that the thieves have gotten even smarter. Some folks will place their laptops or other valuables in their trunks, believing when it is out of sight, it is safe. But now thieves are breaking into the cars, going through the glove compartment and then popping open the trunk to make sure there is nothing valuable inside. It has happened twice to friends lately, once in La Cresta and once in Rosedale. Beware.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If your relationship status says, 'It’s complicated' maybe you should stop kidding yourself and change it to 'Single.'"

 * ... JEAN FULLER: I ran into state Sen. Jean Fuller at Uricchio's Trattoria the other night where she was gathered with staffers from both Sacramento and the local district office. Down from the Sacramento office was Dana Culhane Brennan, one of a handful of bright young people I think should consider running for office. Fuller will be termed out of office in November and will likely be succeeded by former Assemblywoman Shannon Grove.

 * ... PICKLEBALL: The opening of a new pickle ball complex at Greenacres Park has been a huge success, reviving what was once a little used tennis center into a vibrant eight-court pickle ball center drawing dozens of new players each day. And now word on the street is that the North of the River Parks and Recreation District, which runs the Greenacres complex, is considering a second "pickleplex" center in the northwest. Stay tuned.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy this photo of the old Southern Hotel at the corner of 19th Street and Chester Avenue around 1888. It burned in the great downtown fire a year later. Photo courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Bako Bits: the drama at Garces Memorial High, the indecision of Rep. Jean Fuller and Urner's celebrates 90 candles

 

 * ... THE DRAMA AT GARCES: Whatever is going on over at Garces Memorial High School isn't pretty. A lot of alumni and supporters are up in arms over the resignation of football coach David Fanucchi (some claim it was forced) and the demotion of his older brother, Vince Fanucchi. The Fanucchis (third brother John is school president) are virtual institutions at the private Catholic school and it's hard to envision a school year without the Fanucchis in charge in some way. Add to that the sudden resignation of swimming coach Bill Potter and it just adds to the intrigue. So what is it? A purge? Or simply a changing of the guard? The buzz around this community institution is hot, emails are flying and some longtime supporters are threatening to withhold their support, which is considerable. Honestly, I'm not sure I really want to know the inside dirt. Rather, I hope this  storm passes and the school returns to its roots of providing a quality private school education for our local kids. I did hear the school's annual barbeque last week was a huge hit, and that's a good sign. My take: let's hope cooler heads prevail and some form of explanation comes from the diocese to calm the alumni. Garces is a community institution that is too important to put at risk. 

 *  ... JEAN FULLER'S DECISION: State Rep. Jean Fuller addressed the downtown Rotary club last week but didn't reveal much about  her political future. Fuller, who represents the 32nd Assembly District, will either run for a third and final Assembly turn or make a run for the state Senate seat that Roy Ashburn is vacating. One thing was certain: Fuller seems to have grown in the job and impressed the group with her grasp of the issues, particularly regarding the water crisis that is of so much concern to valley farmers. She was accompanied by aide Dana Culhane, daughter of Holly Culhane, owner of PAS Associates.


 * ... 90 CANDLES FOR URNER'S: Urner's Applicance Center is one of those Bakersfield institutions along the lines of Dewar's Candy Shop, Woolgrower's and Luigi's. Is there anyone in town who hasn't purchased a refrigerator, TV or washer and dryer from these guys? So it's worth noting that Urner's, still family owned after all these years, is celebrating its 90th birthday. And they are doing it in with style. On Friday, Oct. 9, principals from Urner's will gather at the Bakersfield Rescue Mission to replace all the mattresses in the men's and women's dormitories with new Tempur-Pedic mattresses. In addition, they'll donate two 60-inch home theater televisions. This is why supporting family owned businesses like Urner's is so important. These are our neighbors, not  some faceless corporate bureaucrat from Arkansas. The company president is David H. Urner, son of the founder, and Steve Illingworth (grandson of David E.  Turner) serves as vice president.

  Urner's opened its doors on September 1, 1919, as Home Appliance Co. during a time when "modern appliances" were sold mainly in hardware stores. Urner's now also specializes in big screen televisions, sofas and mattresses. Over the years the family has been generous to such groups as the CSUB Foundation, the Bakersfield Symphony, Memorial Hospital House of Hope and Teen Challenge. (photo by The Californian)