The idea of "housing first" to solve the homeless issues comes under fire, an organization that feeds the homeless has its offices ransacked by its own customers (the homeless) and Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains gets another challenger

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.

 * ... HOUSING FIRST UNDER FIRE: It's been a long time coming but there is finally a growing and strong backlash to the "housing first" idea of how to deal with homelessness. Across the nation, and including here in Kern County, those dealing with the homeless have held that putting then in housing is all important, even though many street people are dealing with such addiction and mental health issues that they should not be candidates to live alone. But the idea of "housing first" has been our nation's

policy, and now critics are pointing out its failures. Listen to The New York Times on this issue: "The bipartisan approach that has dominated federal homelessness policy for more than two decades is under growing conservative attack. The policy directs billions of dollars to programs that provide homeless people with permanent housing and offer — but do not require them to accept — services like treatment for mental illness or drug abuse. The approach, called Housing First, has been the subject of extensive study and expanded under presidents as different as George W. Bush and Barack Obama. President Biden’s homelessness plan makes Housing First its cornerstone and cites it a dozen times. But Housing First has become a conservative epithet. Republican lawmakers, backed by conservative think tanks and programs denied funding by Housing First rules, want to loosen the policy’s grip on federal dollars. While supporters say that housing people without preconditions saves lives by getting them off the streets, critics say it ignores clients’ underlying problems and want to shift funding to groups like rescue missions that demand sobriety or employment. Some even blame Housing First for the growth in homelessness." It is long past time that Kern County and others wake up to the fact that the promise of "housing first" was just that- a promise with no guarantees.

 * ... BAINS VS GONZALES: There's nothing like some inner party squabbling, old grudges and unrestrained egos to liven up the political season, and we have a doozy in the 35th Assembly District held by Dr. Jasmeet Bains. Bains is a Democrat, and a freshman at that, and you'd think the Democratic Party would be happy about that. But alas, old feuds and political grudges came into play and Bains is now being challenged by Bakersfield City Councilman Andrae Gonzales, who will challenge Bains in the March 2024 primary. If you remember, Bains had little problems turning back Supervisor Leticia Perez, beating her soundly, and one wonders how Gonzales plans to avoid a similar fate. (file photos of Bains and Gonzales)

 * ... JAMES ZERVIS: James Zervis has been promoted to the role of Chief Administrative Officer for Kern County, replacing Ryan Alsop who has taken another job in Napa County. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to hire Zervis starting August 5. Alsop starts his job on August 7. Zervis was appointed Chief Operations Officer by Alsop in March of 2000. Previously Zervis held jobs as a chief financial officer, treasurer and interim city manager in Shafter, as well as serving as the city manager in Wasco.

 * ... DOWNTOWN CRIME: The Burrito Project is a no-frills, volunteer-run organization that depends on donations to continue its mission of bringing a healthy meal to the homeless. So it is particularly cruel to think that this group that gives so much, has been hit so hard by the very vagrants and homeless it serves. The project co-founder, Belinda Lopez Rickett, told Turnto23 News that the group's downtown  offices had been hit a half dozen times, wiping out of the very food and necessities collected for the needy. "We don't have much, but whatever we have, they took, and what left we have, we're willing to give it away still," said Lopez Rickett. "We're still here to help. If they would've asked us, 'Hey, we want hygiene products,' we'd give it to them. There is no reason to steal from us." Since 2009, the Bakersfield Burrito Project has been providing food, hygiene kits, and other necessities to the homeless community in Bakersfield. The nonprofit has been broken into seven times just this month.

 * ...  CHICK-FIL-A: The second location of Chick-fil-A is getting ready to open at the Northwest Promenade. Company officials have tagged July 19 at the official opening date. This will be the second Chick-fil-A location in town, joining the popular first franchise at Stockdale and California.

 * ... GONE TO POT: Did you know that since 2012, 23 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use (including California) and three dozen have approved it for medicinal purposes?

 * ... PICTURE PERFECT: Check out this dynamic picture of the Merced River in Yellowstone, snapped on June 20 by Farhana Hamid for the My Home Is Californian (MHIC) Facebook page.

 * ... MEMORIES:: Lastly our friends over at the Kern County History Fans Facebook page posted this postcard image showing the old Bakersfield Inn during the 1940s. Enjoy.

Kern County loses its top CAO to Napa County, Generation Z goes to pot (literally, cannabis) and order some popcorn to watch the Democratics fight each other when Andrae Gonzales challenges Dr. Jasmeet Bains in the Assembly race

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.

* ... FAREWELL RYAN ALSOP:  Ryan Alsop, the county's chief administrative officer since 2017, is leaving his post to take a similar job in Napa County. This is a huge lost for the county, which enjoyed a

period of steady, adult leadership during a period of great challenge, from the issues over firefighter's pay, to balancing the budget, the historic snowmelt and the threat of flooding and his efforts to successfully past a tax increase in unincorporated parts of the county. Alsop is just 52, a prime age for county administrators, and he was a unique fit for Kern County: he grew up in Bakersfield, went to Highland High and Bakersfield College, and knew the players. Next up? Stay tuned. (photo courtesy of The Californian)

 * .... GONZALES VERSUS BAINS? The worst kept secret in local politics is the emergence of Bakersfield City Councilman Andrae Gonazales as a challenger to freshman Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains in the March 2024 primary. The richness of this scenario is that they are both Democrats and we are about to have a front row seat to watch the Democratic Party cannabalize itself in this Bains-Gonzales matchup. So what is behind all this besides Gonzales' outsized personal political ambition?  Can Gonzales run on his record on the City Council when his downtown Ward 2 is awash in lawlessness, crime and vagrants, and his efforts to combat it have been largely ineffectual? And what is the Democrats' beef with Bains, who easily defeated Supervisor Leticia Perez to win the Assembly post but has quickly irked Sacramento Democrats by showing an independent side aligned with Valley sensibilities? Who knows but it's serious enough to bring together Perez and Gonzales, two Democrats who have been at odds with each other for as long as I can remember. And wasn't Gonzales thinking of running against Perez for her supervisor seat? And of course, what happens to the Ward 2 seat if Gonzales vacates it? This is all going to be fun to watch and it doesn't cost us a nickel. So grab a popcorn and join me.

 * ... GENERATION Z GOES TO POT: When it comes to cannabis consumption, it appears that Generation Z is fully on board. Gen Z - born between 1996 and 2010 - is the first generation to grow up with widespread legal access to cannabis. A recent study found that 65 percent or Generation Zero smoke marijuana and 51 percent consume cannabis infused beverages. Gen Zers are just as likely to visit a marijuana lounge as they are a bar. Gen Zers are also drinking less than past generations.

 * ... MOVING ON: Michael Burroughs, head of CSUB's Kegley Institute of Ethics, is leaving to join the University of Southern California as Executive Director of Organizational Change in the Office of Ethics, Culture, and Compliance. Burroughs siad he was "excited for this new chapter in life and opportunity to lead the strategic vision for USC's focus on values and engagement with the entire university community to guide the USC Culture Journey."

 * ... DOWNTOWN WOES: You can add Smith's Bakery on Union Avenue to the long and growing list of businesses that have suffered at the hands of the lawlessness of downtown. Employees came to work to find the windows smashed out.

 * ... PHOTO OF THE DAY: Once again local photographer JoJo Paredes Butingan blows us away with this incredible picture, a virtual carpet of green.

 

* ... MEMORIES: These two cool old photos of  Bakersfield back in the day come to you courtesy of the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, a treasure trove of good stuff.

Early election results have Rep. David Valadao hanging on against Rudy Salas, the county sales tax increase is leading and remembering the old Blackboard Cafe and the day Hells Angels road into town and visited the honky tonk

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.

 * ... LOCAL ELECTIONS: It is much too early to call many of our local elections but here are a few conclusions, hopefully not submitted too prematurely:

 * Just 13 percent of Kern County's eligible voters cast ballots, another anemic showing in what could be argued was a terribly important election.

 * After months of his ads dominating the airways, it looks like Rep. David Valadao has jumped to an

impressive lead over challenger Rudy Salas. No doubt Valadao can thank his colleague, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, for the money that flowed into his campaign as McCarthy sought to collect enough GOP victories to become Speaker of the House. With so many outstanding ballots to count, it's too early to call this race.

 * Taft doctor Jasmeet Bains has a significant and possibly insurmountable lead over Supervisor Leticia Perez in the 35th Assembly race. Bains was aided by significant media buys on her behalf in the last month of the campaign.

 * If Measure K passes you can thanks a very smart and well executed pro-K campaign by county CAO Ryan Alsop, Sheriff Donny Youngblood and District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. The trio went on a public road show the past month to push for the tax, which would raise the sales tax in the unincorporated area to pay for vital services

 * ... BLACKBOARD CAFE: The Blackboard Cafe, a honky tonk that thrived in the rollicking days of the Bakersfield Sound and was frequented by all the great singers of the day, is long gone but fondly remembered. It originally stood on Chester Avenue just north of the Garces Circle near 34th Street (3601 Chester Avenue), but is now just a memory. Yet now comes word that an original clock that adorned the club has been donated to the Kern County Museum. Thanks to a story in BeLocal, a relatively new city magazine that is a sister publication to Stroll magazine (formerly known as Westchester mag), I learned the clock was donated and will be on display somewhere at the museum. Here's a picture of the clock along with some classic old photos showing Hells Angels at the Blackboard back in the 1960s. (Photos of the Hells Angels by Bill Ray)

 * ... SEXUAL PREDATORS: There's little doubt that sexual predators live among us - neighbors, coaches, priests, confidents, relatives, teachers - and many go unpunished because the public simply refuses to believe the allegations, or statues of limitations have expired. And that is precisely the theme of a new book by Jeff Pickering entitled "Better at the Broken Places" that recounts his own assault at the hands of a family doctor when he was a teenager living in Florida. Pickering, who spent years as head of the Kern Community Foundation, penned the book after suppressing his own assault for years and finding out years later that the doctor was still practicing in Florida. The book tells Pickering's painful personal story and how - like many victims - he suppressed the memory for years as his attacker continued to practice without consequence. The book is available on Amazon. As an added note, former Bakersfield Californian chief graphic artist Glenn Hannmett did the cover for Pickering's book.

 * ... COMEDY FOR VETERANS: If you are in the mood to help local veterans while enjoying some standup comedy on Veteran's Day, check out a special comedy club benefit set for this Friday. Sponsored by Comrades and Canopies, a group that treats veterans to skydiving in Taft, the show will feature headliner Ellis Rodriguez with Jeremiah Nation, Sam Ridley, Greg "G" Williams and Patrick Rabin. Doors  at The Well comedy club open at 6:30 at 7401 White Lane.

 * ... MEMORIES: More on the Blackboard, that famous country bar of the Bakersfield Sound era. This post from Kern County History Fans reminds us of the place that was the place for musicians to meet.

 * ... DUSTBOWL: And finally, I am sharing these remarkable pictures from the Dust Bowl, all shot in Kern County, that appear courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. Enjoy.