A new documentary takes aim at Kern County and depicts cops out of control, we pass the anniversary of the famous "snow day" and improvements to Hart Park help make it shine

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.

 * ... KILLING COUNTY: If you haven't already heard of "Killing County," a new Hulu documentary depicting Kern County as a violent place where police are out of control, you will soon. The documentary reviews a series of officer involved shootings that put Bakersfield in the spotlight several years ago. And yet, the piece has already come under harsh criticism for small but important things like confusing the

Bakersfield police department with the Kern County Sheriff's Department and putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of Sheriff Donny Youngblood. And to top it off, the documentary is introduced by controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kapernick. So is Killing County yet another hit job or does it reflect a reality we don't want to accept? View it yourself and draw your own ... conclusions. https://youtu.be/NEC1_fV6wgo

 * ... EXERCISES FOR LIFE: If hitting the gym is not for you, you might want to consider a few simple exercises that can be done right at home without equipment, and experts say it may just be about all you need. Using just your body weight, experts say a simple routine of squats, lunges and a few exercises on a yoga matt to strengthen your spine and back may be all you need. It's a workout that focuses on mobility and overall core strength. "Your spine is the center of your torso, the hip is what connects your legs to torso, and the shoulder is what connects your arms to your torso," said Jessica Valiant,  physical therapist in Denver. "These are the main areas that you use to reach and lift and pull. If you can work to keep those mobile, you are going to help yourself with 90 percent of the activities that you do every day."

 * ... SNOW DAY: Can you believe it's been 24 years since the famous "snow day" in Bakersfield. Yep, it was this time in 1999 when Bakersfield awoke to an amazing snowfall, grinding the town to a stall as kids enjoyed a rare day in Kern County. Here are a few pictures taken from that day including a couple famous ones by Californian photographer Henry Barrios and KGET.

 * ... HART PARK: Hart Park shines this time of year and the trail hikes above the KCSO shooting range have been full of people enjoying the child and fresh air. And the park, thanks in part of county CAO Ryan Alsop, has never looked better. A relatively new bathroom at the base of the trail near the shooting range is a huge hit, as is the new parking lot and other amenities.

 * ... RIP MICHELE BUONI: Bakersfield lost an angel recently when Michele Buoni died after a short but tragic battle with gastric cancer. A service was held at St. Francis this week in honor of her life. A bright light gifted with a wide smile that she brought to her tennis group almost every day at Bakersfield Racquet Club, Michele was married to her high school sweetheart Mario for 39 years. Her obituary ended with this: "In lieu of flowers, Michele's memory may be honored with a donation to the Bakersfield Racquet Club for the dedication of a court in her name, 1660 Pine Street, Bakersfield CA 93301. If we are lucky, and in the right place at the right time, someone amazing can fall into our lives. For many, Michele was that extraordinary person. "

 * ... MEMORIES: The old Hotel Lebec once graced the old Ridge Route road before the completion of Interstate 5 to Los Angeles, and in its day it played host to Hollywood celebrities, politicians and well-to-do travelers looking for a place to rest after a long journey. Here is a wonderful picture of the place, thanks to John Kelley and the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page. Steven Humphrey, a local historian, added the picture of the vacant property to show us where the Lebec once stood.

Were Republicans trying to sew confusion by promoting their own candidates on a Democratic mailer? Democrats cry foul, the candidates take cover and things heat up across the board, plus Amy Travis takes over as director of First 5 KERN

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.

 * ... ELECTION SHENANIGANS: If you cover enough elections over the years you will learn one simple truth: always expect to be surprised. Candidates will lie, or deceive, supporters will do equally stupid things, 11th hour revelations can change everything and until every vote is counted, the race can go any way. And so it goes locally here when, with just a week until the June 7 primary, a candidates mailer is causing all kinds of problems for some of the most prominent and well known candidates this election cycle. The mailer targeted Democratic voters and if you didn't know better, the piece would seem to come from the Democratic Party itself: the images of Presidents Roosevelt, Kennedy and Obama (all

Democrats) are at the top of the ballot followed by what looks like a list of Democrats running for office. Except for - and this is what it is all about  - some of the candidates listed are prominent Republicans, including District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, Sheriff Donny Youngblood, Assessor candidate Todd Reeves and county supervisor candidate Jeff Flores. Kern County Democrats immediately cried foul, claiming the mailer was a naked attempt to confuse voters by including Republicans on a Democrat mailer. And who is responsible for the mailer? Well that would be Cathy Abernathy and Western Pacific Research, her company that is in the business of grooming and promoting the conservative echo chamber that runs much of local politics. (Zimmer is not represented by WPR but Flores is). Zimmer, Youngblood and Flores all told me they did not approve of the mailer and had no idea it was even coming out. "I can say that I never saw nor did I approve this piece of mail," Zimmer told me. "Neither did the sheriff. We are very unhappy our image was used." Youngblood confirmed that with me, saying he "did not pay, agree or authorize" the mailer. Flores, for his part, also denied knowing the mailer was being sent out but did concede he works with Western Pacific to reach out to non Republican voters. "These are what are known as 'slates' so I don't approve the layout or content or see it for that matter," he said. "And WPR did purchase all my slates this cycle which I approve and pay for the sales package. I sign on to as many slates as I can afford for voter contact. Republicans, Democrats, seniors, Hispanics, law enforcement, taxpayers, many categories, especially in non partisan races." But in no way, Flores insisted, did he know his name and image would be included on a mailer that seemed to imply that all the candidates were Democrats. For candidates like Zimmer and Youngblood, who are both running unopposed, something like this can amount to little more than an irritating nuisance. But for Flores, who faces tough competition in the primary against retired CHP officer Brian Smith and former homeless executive Louis Gil, the stakes are far higher. For her part, Abernathy told KGET she was simply reaching out to Democratic voters and doing her job to promote Republican candidates to all voters. So was this an egregious (if slightly heavy handed and over the top) attempt to sew confusion among the voters? And even if it is not illegal, at the very least it's an attempt to sew confusion and that reflects poorly on candidates like Flores, Youngblood and Zimmer. And finally, will it change the outcome of the elections? Probably not, but you can bet some folks on that mailer will be dealing with the fallout for months.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My girlfriend's cat died and someone suggested I get her an identical one to cheer her up. Doesn't make any sense. How will two dead cats cheer her up? "

* ... AMY TRAVIS: After serving as executive director of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Amy Travis has accepted a position to run First 5 Kern program. Travis will start her new duties on July 18, succeeding Roland Maier who is retiring. Travis began her career with CASA in May 2012, and has been instrumental in the organization’s restructuring and development, securing new funding streams, and increasing the number of children served yearly. Travis is not only a business person but in 2019 she was honored and selected by Bakersfield Magazine as a “20 Under 40 to Watch.” She graduated from Fresno Pacific University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership, studied at Loyola University Chicago, and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Strategic and Organizational Leadership at Fresno Pacific University.  “On behalf of my fellow Commissioners, we could not be more thrilled in the selection of Amy for this critical position in our community,” said First 5 Kern Commission Chair John Nilon. “Amy embodies all the qualities that we wanted, including executive leadership, community presence, and experience in the delivery of services to our most vulnerable children. The expectations for First 5 Kern are at their highest, and we have every belief that Amy will exceed those expectations.” First 5 provides funding to organizations that work to strengthen and support children up to 5 years old and their families.

 * ... MEMORIES: This is about as good a picture you will find of the old Beale clock tower after it was partially destroyed in the 1951 earthquake. You see it here at 17th and Chester with the Sill Building in the background. Courtesy of Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

People flock back to local theaters, a bad year for local retail is in the books, California tries to save the dwindling population of Monarch butterflies and Sheriff Donny Youngblood says he will run for office again

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.

 * ... MOVIE THEATERS MUSCLE UP: If you were one of those who believed movie theaters may never rebound from the pandemic and lock down, think again. Across the country people are flocking back to theaters to take in the latest blockbuster, get out of the heat and enjoy a popcorn and a Coke. And no where is that

truer than in Bakersfield where theaters are doing a gang buster's business, and they still are not opened at 100 percent yet. Mike Armandariz, general manager of the Maya Cinemas in downtown Bakersfield, was thrilled to report that movie goers are flocking back to the theaters. "We could not be happier," he told me. And with temperatures hitting 106 and higher, Maya and other local theaters will remain top choices to spend a cool afternoon on a scorching day.

 * ... RIP RETAIL: Running a retail business has never been a walk in the park and the advent of the internet and brand killer companies like Amazon. And then came the pandemic which forced a number of prominent American brands into bankruptcy: Brooks Brothers, Joseph A. Bank, Belk, GNC, J.Crew, Lord and Taylor, Pier 1, Men's Wearhouse and J.C. Penny among others. The best locally owned companies thrive on a strong service ethic and have proved resilient but experts fear there will be a second wave of smaller retailers going out of business as consumers emerge from the pandemic more satisfied that ever with buying their clothes and other goods online.

 * ... MONARCHS AND MILKWEED: With Monarch butterflies facing eventual extinction, the state of California has launched an ambitious effort to plant 600 acres of milkweed statewide. Milkweed is known for being a "mega food market for insects," attracting more than 500 types of insects drawn to its sap, leaves and flowers. But not all types of milkweed are acceptable. According to a report in The New York Times: "Well intentional locals in California's cities have started planting tropical milkweed in their gardens in an effort to help the monarchs. However, tropical milkweed is not native to California and doesn't die out in winter, which confuses the monarchs' migratory patterns."  Locally, various types of milkweed are being planted in the Panorama Vista Preserve at the base of the Panorama bluffs to provide food and nutrients for the monarchs.

* ... DONNY YOUNGBLOOD: Sheriff Donny Youngblood has announced he will run for re-election, and now let me tell you why I believe that is a good thing. First, Youngblood has been a steady, consistent voice for law enforcement in Kern County, and he has displayed remarkable resilience and agility dealing with a host of challenges on his watch. Officer involved shootings, fatal car wrecks involving deputies, corruption, they have all been on his watch and he has handled each of them accordingly. Full disclosure: I urged Youngblood to run again. With the world in turmoil - police shootings, Black Lives Matter, recriminations, the movement to defund the police, the notorious "woke" culture in society - Youngblood would best serve the community by running for another term. Youngblood is now 70 and was first elected to office in 2006. He says he still has the passion, is in top physical shape and will offer himself up for another four years. That is good news. (photo by Alex Horvath of The Bakersfield Californian)

* ... BAKERSFIELD OBSERVED: Yearning for a better life and weary of the crime and corruption with his native Honduras, a young man named Carlos packed up his family and moved to the United States,

determined to set his family on a better course for happiness. If this sounds familiar, it is the echo-chamber soundtrack of why so many people flee their homes in Central America and try desperately to get to America, only in this case it was all done legally, and we are all off better for it. The man in question is Carlos Baldovinos, father of his son and namesake who now runs The Mission of Kern County. "I did it all legally, and I am glad I did," he told me. "I would not have done it any other way." The subject of immigration - both illegal as it seen on the border and legal as is displayed in the case of the Baldovinos family - is the topic of the Bakersfield Observed with Richard Beene podcast being released later this week on Spotify and other podcast platforms. Access the interview there or on KERNRADIO.COM where a link to it will be posted. (father-son photo of Carlos Baldovinos and son)

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this picture from back in 1925 at DiGiorgio Farms, thanks to the Facebook page Kern County History Fans.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: Finally here is a valentine to all you West High graduates. A picture of your campus back in the day.

The High-Speed Rail Authority is spending $4,300 every second in California, Father Craig Harrison sues the Diocese of Fresno, Trump visits Bakersfield and two Porterville firemen die in a blaze

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 person or organization.

 * ... HI SPEED RAIL: If you really want to be depressed, consider these numbers from the state

auditor on how much we are spending on the ill-fated High Speed Rail project. The audit said the rail authority is spending $6.2 million a day. That comes to $43.4 million a week, or $2.26 billion a year. If you don't think that is a lot of money, think about this way: that means the High-Speed Rail Authority is spending $4,300 every second. That's right, every second.

 * ... LAWSUIT: Monsignor Craig Harrison has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Diocese of Fresno, claiming the diocese and communications director Teresa Dominguez made defamatory statements that harmed Harrison's reputation. It was the third defamation lawsuit filed by Harrison against his critics, the other two filed against a Benedictine monk and a group called the Roman Catholic Faithful. Defense attorney Kyle Humphrey had threatened the lawsuit after the Fresno County District Attorney declined to press charges against Harrison even while citing "credible" evidence that the priest had engaged in inappropriate sexual activity with a young man in Firebaugh in the 1990s. Harrison is coming up on a year since he was suspended by the Diocese, where Bishop Joseph Brennan will have the final call on whether Harrison returns to St. Francis, is moved to another church or is defrocked.


 * ... PORTERVILLE FIRE: Heart breaking news out of Porterville, where a fire at the public literary killed two firemen. Authorities said Bakersfield resident Capt. Raymond Figueroa, 35,  and firefighter Patrick Jones, 25, were killed in the fire. Two teenagers, both 13 and both Porterville residents, were arrested and face arson, manslaughter and conspiracy charges. Their names were not released because of their age.

 * ... TRUMP VISIT: President Trump's visit to Meadows Field was a huge success, with a "who's who" crowd of 3,000 people crammed into the JACO oil hanger to catch his remarks. Enjoy these photos compliments of Cynthia Zimmer, Wendy Porter, Kati McKeown and Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "When I was a kid, my dad would mix rice krispies, a little Nestle Quik cocoa powder and a splash of water and put that on top of ice cream and I can't believe it took me until I was 13 to realize he was smoking weed."

 * ... NEWSPAPER LAYOFFS: So you think things are tough in the newspaper industry? Well it may be worse thank you think. Down at the Los Angeles Times, which was purchased by a billionaire a few years ago, the newspaper has announced it is offering voluntary buyout packages. A memo from management said the new company had invested more than $100 million in staff, technology and infrastructure but needs the reduction in staff to move forward.

 * ... HEART BREAKING: Another random snapshot of an abandoned dog, this one in Oildale near James Road. The way Kern County treats its animals is shameful, begging the question: why doesn't the Board of Supervisors pass a mandatory spay/neuter law?

 * ... CAFE SMITTEN: Happy third birthday to Cafe Smitten, the original coffee house and restaurant that opened to great fanfare on 18th Street, growing to become one of the most popular venues in town. Check out this post from the owners:  "Dear downtown 909 18th street. We met many years ago on what was then a quiet street. A vacant building that had an old charm and great bones. Fast forward and look at you now! You beam light everyday onto this street, from inside out. An amazing team keeps you moving, and patrons continue to love you as much as they did when you first debuted as Cafe Smitten 3 years ago today. You have become something more than Shai and I dreamed of, and we look forward to watching you continue to grow and shine on! Order the birthday latte today and celebrate Cafe Smitten’s third year in your favorite blue building in downtown Bakersfield."

 MEMORIES: More classic postcards from the past picked up on the Facebook sites dedicated to our shared Kern County history.

The sheriff and the district attorney plan to step up enforcement on the streets, good news for our homeless crisis, Trump sends experts to Los Angeles to check on that street crisis and getting ready for another Bakersfield Marathon

Monday, September 16, 2019

 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. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... HOMELESS: This may be some of the best news yet to come out of battle against drug addiction, homelessness and and street crime. It looks like District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and

Sheriff Donny Youngblood are working together to find ways to prosecute people for misdemeanors, now that Sacramento has decriminalized all but the most serious of violent offenses. This excerpt is from The Californian: "Due to limited jail space, deputies in Kern County typically give out citations for those arrested on suspicion of drug possession or stealing less than $950. But law enforcement officials say those cited seldom show up in court, and the next time they are arrested they simply receive another ticket and give another promise to show up. “We’d like to be able to not give someone a ticket who has possession of drugs, a ticket to someone who has vandalized, a ticket for someone with a promise to go to court,” Zimmer said. “Because they don’t go to court. They don’t go to court because they are high and they can’t make these kinds of decisions. They have to go to jail.” It won't solve everything, but it is an important step forward.

 * ... MORE HOMELESS: The Trump administration has sent experts to Los Angeles to study the homeless crisis, and what they saw was not pretty. There are an estimated 45,000 people living on the streets in Los Angeles, and along with that have come typhoid, and invasion of rats and other public health issues. Rev. Andy Bales of Union Mission church told Forbes that five of the visitors were from the Environmental Protection Agency because "human waste flows into storm sewers." But that is not all. Bales also warned of types of homeless he is seeing. "We are seeing behaviors from our guests that I’ve never seen in 33 years,” said Bales. “They are so bizarre and different that I don’t even feel right describing the behaviors. It’s extreme violence of an extreme sexual nature. I have been doing this for 33 years and never seen anything like it.”

 * ... WEDDING: Congratulations to Blake Strong and Emily Holtzman tied the knot Sunday in a lovely ceremony at the new Metro Special Events space on 18th Street. Strong works for Kaiser and Emily is a local body artist. The couple met in Santa Rosa, lost their home after the fires and relocated to Bakersfield where Strong was raised. If you haven't visited Metro Special Events, try to do so. It is Don Martin's latest creation after he vacated the old Metro Galleries on 19th and Eye streets.

 * ... MARATHON: Are you ready for the Bakersfield Marathon? The fourth annual run will be held November 17, once again starting in the southwest at CSUB and winding its way through town and up to Bakersfield College before heading back. Officials expect to set yet another record turnout. The Bakersfield event serves as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

 * ... MEMORIES: Some more wonderful old pictures from our past thanks to the Facebook pages Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans.

Looking to a New Year and the nagging problem of homelessness, the magic of the camellias that remind me of Nancy Wickersham Hall and Brian Smith eyes running for sheriff

Monday, December 31, 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.

 * ... NEW YEAR: If I had one wish for our community for the new year, it would be to get a handle

on our homeless problem. Hard to do? Certainly, given the toxic mixture of drugs, hopelessness, lack of education and addiction that contribute to the problem. But the hard truth is this: failing to address homelessness will have a lasting negative impact on our community. It will devalue our neighborhoods and put a permanent blight on the reputation of this community we call home. It will demand money, focus and more resources than we want to spend, but I can think of no other single issue that trumps homelessness as our first cause of concern.

 * ... RIP NANCY: The camellias in my back yard are blooming once again, so vibrant in their shades of pink, white and red. And I can't look at those flowers without thinking of Nancy Wickersham Hall, who died over the holidays after a long and distinguished career and life. She was born a Wickersham and later married jeweler Don Hall in 1951. My connection with Nancy was late in coming: when I moved into a 1934 California bungalow downtown in 2014, Don Hall reached out to tell me that his beloved Nancy grew up in my house, and the camellias that now frame my lot were planted by her late father. So here is to the late Nancy Hall, her husband Don, their son Jon and all the memories she left.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Yesterday I tried on something from five years ago and it still fits. So proud of myself? It was a scarf, but let's stay positive here."

 * ...  BRIAN SMITH: I ran into retired California Highway patrolman Brian Smith at a holiday party a few days ago and learned he is ready and eager to run for Kern County Sheriff. Smith told me he is running but there is one caveat: he won't run if Sheriff Donny Youngblood decides to seek another term. "I told Donny that," he said. "I won't run if he does."

 * ... SPEED OF LIGHT: If you don't think technology has changed our world, consider all the things that did not exist 15 years ago, among them: iPhone, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, iPad, Netflix streaming, Google Maps, Snapchat, Spotify, Android, Uber, Lyft, Alexa, Airbnb, App Store Google Chrome, WhatsApp, Fitbit, Waze, Slack, Square, Dropbox, Pinterest, Venmo, Bitcoin, Hulu and Kindle.

 * ... FACE OF EVIL: Take a look at a real face of evil, this man who is accused of shooting and killing a northern California policemen during a traffic stop. The illegal immigrant was identified as Gustavo Perez Arriaga, 32, arrested by Kern County deputies in Lamont. Authorities believe he was headed to Mexico to escape arrest.

* ... MEMORIES: A picture of Chester and 19th Street back in 1910.

Copper thieves strip the AC units at the Gleaners, Sheriff Donny Youngblood wants new tax to hire more deputies and the new CSUB presidents makes the rounds about town

Friday, July 6, 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 place. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com. 

 * ... COPPER THEFT: There has been a rash of copper wire thefts around town, and the favorite target for thieves are air conditioning units. Across town, business people are showing up for work

only to find their AC units disassembled and stripped of all copper wire. It happened this week at the Golden Empire Gleaners, an organization dedicated to providing food for the most needy among us. The Gleaners posted this on their Facebook page: "Sometime during the Independence Day holiday, unknown person(s) entered the Gleaners property through a hole in the chain link fence. They then scaled an eight foot wall at the rear (north) of the building and stripped our seven ton commercial HVAC unit of its copper. It is a total loss and can not be repaired."

 * ... NEW TAXES: Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood is going to ask the Board of Supervisors to place a sales tax increase on the November ballot to fund public safety. The city of Bakersfield already has a similar proposal that would raise $50 million for public safety initiatives. Youngblood argues, convincingly, that his deputies already make less money that their counterparts in Bakersfield and Shafter and that any new positions in Bakersfield would likely be filled by deputies eager to earn more money.

 * ... CSUB PRESIDENT: This is the first week of work for new CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny, and she spent the time introducing herself to students, faculty and newsmakers about town. She appeared on virtually every local television station, on KERN NewsTalk as my guest and she also appeared in the pages of The Bakersfield Californian. I spotted Zelezny having dinner at Uricchio's Trattoria with Mayor Karen Goh and CSUB marketing specialist Michael Lukens.

 * ... OPIODS: There is a growing body of evidence that medicinal marijuana can help those suffering from opiod addictions. One study found that in states that allow the sale of medicinal marijuana, opiod addiction dropped an average of 24 percent as addicts turned from harder drugs to medicinal pot for relief.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’ll call it a “smart phone” the day I yell, “Where’s my phone?!” and it answers."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: :"I’m at that stage in life where my bladder is at its weakest and my phobia of public toilets is at its strongest."

 * ... RIP THE DOME: So did you hear The Dome, that iconic east Bakersfield building that once hosted wrestling and boxing matches, has been sold and will likely be torn down? That's the word from reports that say the building, dating from the 1940s, has been sold to a private company that has an immigration detention center next door. The list price of The Dome was $2.2 million but no official word yet on the exact sales price.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this photo of the Haberfelde Building under construction in 1913.