Two local death row inmates die of Covid-19 and District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer celebrates closure for their victims, H.A. Sala to talk about your rights during protests, and all those sports mascots and logos that are on the chopping block during this time of the great cleansing

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.

 * ... PROTESTS: How many times have you watched protesters attacking motorists and wondered: What would I do in that situation? If I hit the pedal and hurt somebody, will I be charged? If I fear my

life is in danger as they pound on my hood and windows, what are my rights? We will cover all of that and more on Tuesday when noted defense attorney H.A. Sala comes on The Richard Beene Show at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss our rights. Tune in.

 * ... COVID TAKE A KILLER(S): The coronavirus has claimed two lives on California's death row. This take from District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer: "Scott Thomas Erskine raped and murdered a 9 year old boy, a 13 year old boy, and and an adult woman. Manuel Machado Alvarez murdered a man and committed other violent felonies including rape. Hopefully, with the deaths of these sexual predators, the victims’ families can have some closure and peace."

  * ... PURITY POLICE: Now that the nation is in the grips of a feverish movement to destroy anything remotely offensive, let's review some of the sports teams logos that simply have to go in this climate. We can start with our own South High "Rebels," which you can guess, has been deemed out of bounds by the purity police. Then you can move on to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the University of Illinoi "Fighting Ilini" named after an Indian tribe, the Atlanta Braves, the longtime favorite Washington Redskins and - get this - the Holy Cross Crusaders. Now if a good old fashioned Christian crusade doesn't upset you, then few things will. And don't forget about the "Arabs" of the Coachella High School. If we have to explain it to you, then you just don't get it.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Just overheard a woman talking on her phone to her friend saying that she tested positive for Covid, but she feels fine and she needs to get her shopping done. She did have a mask on but her husband and kids didn't... Just to let folks know some people don't care for anyone's else's safety. We walked away and notified employees but she was on her way out...We just couldn't believe it. MASK Up folks."

 * ... MEMORIES: You must got to love some of these old pictures on the internet. Here, from a local Facebook page devoted to local history, is a picture from 1943 with this caption: "The peak flow of Kern River as measured at First Point near Hart Park the morning of March 10, 1943 was 21,701 cubic feet per second. The Beardsley River Weir is located just east of Gordon's Ferry Bridge. And they say, "In Bakersfield, it only rains at night".

Is a new priest headed to St. Francis now that Monsignor Harrison has been on suspension for almost a year? Plus the former head of the Kern Community Foundation comes on to share his story of a childhood molestation and Rick Kreiser is honored by Bakersfield 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 person or organization.

 * ... ST. FRANCIS: The Diocese of Fresno is apparently ready to send a new pastor to St. Francis to fill in until the questions surrounding the fate of Monsignor Craig Harrison are resolved. It is not yet

confirmed but I was told a new priest could be here sometime in March. Meanwhile, the status of Harrison remains unresolved almost a year after he was suspended by the Diocese over allegations by now grown men that he preyed on them sexually when they were young. Harrison has denied the charges but a recent report from the Fresno District Attorney's office found the allegations "credible." Shortly after that revelation, Harrison and his attorneys filed a defamation lawsuit against the Diocese of Fresno.

 * ... RADIO TIME: H.A. Sala, a prominent criminal defense attorney who is part of Craig Harrison's defense team, will appear on my radio show this week to respond to the Fresno DA's finding and launch a defense of Harrison. Does Harrison's lawsuit against the church mean he has given up on getting his job back at St. Francis? (After all who sues their boss expecting to get their job back?) How damaging is it when a DA's office says the evidence against Harrison seems credible? Were they implying he may be guilty of the accusations? We will cover these questions and others when Sala comes on the program this week.

 * ... JEFF PICKERING: And finally, we will chat with Jeff Pickering on Tuesday after his own revelation that he was molested as a youth by a doctor but as ashamed to come forward. Pickering, who now lives in Florida but spent time in Bakersfield as head of the Kern Community Foundation, will speak to the shame, guilt and embarrassment that explains why he kept the molestation a secret for 30 years. Pickering has documented his gripping story in a serial blog post that can be found at ... https://stillpracticingmetoo.fyi (Jeff Pickering pictured with his wife, Stephanie)

 * ... RICK KREISER: Congratulations to Rick Kreiser for being recognized by Bakersfield College for his contributons to the BC Foundation. Kreiser was honored at the Sterling Silver Dinner held at Seven Oaks Country Club Saturday night. In addition to Kreiser, the school also honored Dr. Bill Baker for his 43 years of service at the team doctor for BC football. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Burton)

 * ... BERNIE SANDERS: Just 48 hours after President Donald Trump spoke to a rousing crowd at Meadows Field, Bernie Sanders swept through town to cheer on his supporters at a rally at the Park at River Walk. And, despite what you might read on social media, particularly Facebook, it was a standing room only crowd that greeted the Democratic front runner. Facebook was full of posts saying only a handful of people showed up for the event, but in fact there was a crowd of around 3,500 who turned out for the rally.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Stop assuming all toddlers want to give you a high five."

 * ... MEMORIES: Stephen Humphrey posted this on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. The caption: The Bakersfield Club in 1914 located on the n/e corner of 19th and "F" Streets. Building demolished after the 1952 earthquake. West Side Liquors now occupies the location.

Texas leapfrogs to the third largest oil supplier in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Russia, H.A. Sala defends Supervisor Leticia Perez and the community rallies behind the Gleaners

Friday, July 20, 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. 

 * ... SHALE BOOM: Just how important is the shale oil boom in the United States? Well check this

out: did you know that the Lone Star state is now the world's No. 3 oil producer, behind only Russia and Saudi Arabia? That's what a recent HSBC report said, thanks to two massive Texas oil fields and advances in hydraulic fracturing technology. Said CNN: "Much of the excitement in Texas centers around the Permian Basin. Some oil execs believe the amount of oil in the Permian rivals Saudi Arabia's Ghawar Field, the world's largest conventional oilfield. Rapid technological advances have dramatically brought down the cost of pumping oil everywhere, especially out of the Permian. Wells there can be profitable below $40 a barrel."

 * ... LETICIA PEREZ: The lawyer defending Supervisor Leticia Perez on conflict of interest charges appears to be focusing on unequal treatment under the law, and not that she was the victim of racism. H.A. Sala, one of the keenest criminal defense attorneys in the valley, told me on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM that District Attorney Lisa Green had not presented one shred of evidence that Perez stood to benefit from her position supporting the regulation and sale of marijuana in Kern County, even though her husband, Fernando Jara, was a cannabis consultant. Instead, he said, there might be a stronger underlying reason why Green chose to prosecute. And that, he said, was because Perez did not actively campaign for assistant DA Scott Spielman to replace Green as district attorney. Further, he wondered why Perez was not treated similarly to City Councilman Bob Smith, when Smith was cited for lobbying for a client before the city Planning Commission. Both Smith and Perez, Sala said, stood to benefit financially and unlike Smith, Perez never lobbied on behalf of one of her husband's clients. Sala said he would demand a full dismissal of the charges, and if not, we are headed for a trial.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Here’s the thing, I love you but I don’t want to rearrange furniture just to see how it looks."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "Next up, Melania holds a presser to say she thought her jacket said 'I really do care' not "I really don't care.'"

 * ... GLEANERS: You know how they say that Kern County is such a generous place to live? Well there was more evidence of that when the community rallied behind the Golden Empire Gleaners after thieves stripped its air conditioning unit of all copper. The community stepped forward with grants and in-kind donations and the unit has now been replaced. The Gleaners specifically thanks California Resources Corp., Whisler Air Conditioning and Heating and Reese's Crane Service.

 * ... CRIME: How bad is crime about town? Check out this Facebook post from a man who video taped a young man stealing items out of cars and trucks near White Lane and Old River Road: "Confronted this guy and his buddy just causally walking down the street this morning at 5:30 AM, check car doors, stealing stuff, claiming they need to feed their family. Brazen, defiant, bold. Near Old River and White Lane. The early bird gets the worm! There were several cars unlocked that they just reached inside, filled their backpack, and kept on walking. What would you do? Is it worth escalating? It's only 'just stuff' being stolen when it's not your stuff...right? I just followed them for about 30 minutes and called the police. Is it only me but does it feel like our culture is against law and order? Yes, I filed a police report."

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out these old photos from a personal photo album, take in December 1946.

He's back from vacation, some kudos for our Kern County Parkway bike path, and more bad form after trashing our local city parks

 * … HE'S BACK: Yes, I am back from a two week vacation. It's amazing how time off can cleanse and sharpen one's focus, and when I travel, I am always in awe of what a small world we share. In Zihuatanejo, Mexico, I met a cabbie who lived for three years picking grapes in Delano. The work

was backbreaking, he was working without documents, and he went home. Another acquaintance told me he spent six years in Fresno and Los Angeles and knew Bakersfield well. And finally in Barra de Potosi, a picturesque fishing village, I met a young man named Hugo who spent several years in the same neighborhood of Atlanta where I was raised. And as always, no matter how good the time off, it is always good to come home.

* … BIKE PATH: Sometimes we all need the perspective of a visitor to appreciate what we have. This from my colleague Rachel Cook, assistant managing editor of BakersfieldLife magazine. "My mom and her husband were visiting from Idaho this weekend and we took two rides on the Kern River Parkway bike path. They raved about how wonderful the trail is and how well maintained it is. My mom in particular gushed that it was nicer than trails she's ridden in Vail and Boise because it's so smooth. They also noticed that the people of Bakersfield are very friendly and welcoming. Altogether, Bakersfield made a great impression on them!"

 * …. TRASH: And there was this from an anonymous writer: "It is a shame the amount of trash that has been left at Jastro Park following a large gathering yesterday. I don't know if the city requires a permit to have a party at the park, but whoever reserved the park should be charged for the cleanup. It is a disaster."

 * … PISMO: In contrast, the beach at Pismo was thoroughly cleaned by 8 a.m. the day after the Fourth of July celebrations.

* … PITBULL LAWYERS: Reader Margie C. Casado rose to my defense after I referred to lawyers H.A. Sala and Daniel Rodriguez as being pit bull attorneys. "I did not read where you referred to counsel as pit bulls but, I would agree with you on that term. I own pit bulls and I am Hispanic. I fail to see the connection that Julie Womack was making and I don't know why she made a big deal out of your comment. Anyone living in this town knows what great attorneys H.A. Sala, Daniel Rodriquez and David Torres are. There are lawyers of other ethnic groups that are good at their profession also. I am glad you answered Julie the way you did without apologizing. To me, you were paying Mr. Sala and Mr. Rodriquez a compliment by calling them pit bulls."

* … MEMORIES: Ronal Reynier wrote to comment on the historic front pages that have been reprinted in the pages of the newspaper. "It would be interesting to see a reprint of sales advertisements.
Some years ago, while researching at the library, I pulled up the Californian printed on the day I was born. It must have been a slow news day. They did not even announce my birth. They did tell me that the city had about 37,000 people and 74,000 in the county. There had been 801 marriages and 800 divorces in the county. The most interesting page though was a full page advertisement by our local Ford dealer. They were announcing that 'credit is now available' on a car with a sales price of
only $909. That was real deal as at today's price it would be only $15,600. You could buy this car with only $303 down and finance the balance over three years at only 30 percent per year. Now is that a deal or what? "

If Hispanic lawyers like H.A. Sala are pit bulls in the courtroom, what about lawyers of other ethnic backgrounds, a reader asks. And domestic oil production skyrockets thanks to hydraulic fracturing

* … OIL: Thanks to a boom in domestic oil production and better fuel economy in cars and trucks, the United States is experiencing fewer shocks at the gas pump. According to The Wall Street Journal,

domestic crude oil production has shot up 47 percent since late 2010. In fact, domestic oil production in October surpassed imports for the first time in 20 years, the paper said. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is responsible for much of the increased production.

* … TANDY: Anne Stoken wrote in response to my earlier post about City Manager Alan Tandy. Said Anne: "Fans of the NHL, the Condors and ice hockey in general would greatly appreciate it if you would cease to refer to an alleged assault by City Manager Tandy 'during' an amateur hockey game.  It's clear from the video and the descriptions by eyewitnesses that whatever occurred happened 'after' an amateur hockey game." True enough, but Tandy is out of the woods after the District Attorney declined to prosecute.

 * … PITBULLS: And Julie Womack wrote to question my description of H.A. Sala and Daniel Rodriguez as courtroom pit bulls who could have squared off in the Tandy case.  "So if Hispanic lawyers are pit bulls, what breeds of dogs would be identified with attorneys of other ethnic lineages?" she asked. If any lawyer is as dogged (no pun intended) as H.A. Sala is in the courtroom, he or she is also a pit bull.

 * … WALL STREET: I stopped by the Wall Street Cafe the other day and was delighted to find the owners had rolled out a fresh new summer menu. The "summer salad" featured fresh strawberries and the caprese salad was outstanding. The cafe is located at 1818 L Street.

* … ACHIEVER: Hats off to Christopher Siebert, a Bakersfield student who was named to the Dean's List at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. He is a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering.

 * … REED: Joanna Reed, owner of Cricklewood Nursery and Landscape, dropped me a note to say her son, Mark Reed, was honored as Father of the Year by the American Diabetes Association for the work he has done on behalf of diabetes research and outreach. Said his mother: "He shared the podium with Jakob Dylan and Michael Helfant who were also honored. All three men have children with Type I diabetes and have taken time from their busy schedules to help with a very worthy cause.  Needles to say I am quite proud. Mark is a graduate of Foothill High and the father of Ryan Reed, NASCAR Nationwide driver No. 16 who has Type I diabetes."

 * … MEMORIES: Ninety-year-old Irene Hageman Bower sent this note about the old St. Joseph's School.  "It was located on the north side of Oregon Street in the 500 block. I lived on the south side of Oregon Street in the 400 block, and attended Washington Elementary School for the second and third grades. When Washington Elementary School became a junior high, we students were transferred to Longfellow Elementary, where we attended until moving back to Washington Junior High.  After graduating from there in 1938, I went on to attend one semester at Bakersfield High School before being transferred to the newly completed East Bakersfield High, from which I graduated in 1941. Our home on Oregon Street, as well as St. Joseph School, was demolished for the creation of the cross town freeway."

The case against Bakersfield City Manager Alan Tandy pits the two most prominent Hispanic attorneys in town (H.A. Sala and Daniel Rodriguez), promising a pit bull of a dustup in court

 * … TANDY: One of the subplots in the dustup over whether City Manager Alan Tandy assaulted another man during an amateur hockey game are the attorneys involved, in this case two of the most prominent Hispanic lawyers in town. Criminal defense attorney H.A. Sala is representing Tandy, and plaintiff's lawyer Daniel Rodriguez is representing his accuser. As one observer of the local legal scene remarked: "I would pay to be in that courtroom if those two pitbulls square off."

 

* … SPINNER: I was saddened to learn of the death of Maurice Sneed, the 49-year-old man known for spinning a Little Caesars sign in the Southwest. I didn't know Maurice, but his daily presence across town, energetically spinning that pizza sign while waving at cars, provided a comfortable if false sense of intimacy. He will not soon be forgotten.

* … BAD FORM: Stephen A. Montgomery let off a little steam with this observation: "In addition to the self entitled jerks who litter our community and those who think there is value in tagging or putting stickers and decals on traffic signs to say nothing about all the yard sale, lost/found dog/cat signs that only leave when they rot off is that ambulance chasing attorney who every six weeks comes through our neighborhood sticking a slick color business card reading 'Que hacer en caso de un ACCIDENTE' with a triple 8 and a local phone number. Never mind the Oleander Sunset Neighborhood isn't an enclave of Spanish speakers or for the vast majority of the neighborhood don't read Spanish at all. In frustration I gather these up and blue can them but I do wish he would stop this pointless practice."

   * … JIM WRIGHT: With Rep. Kevin McCarthy poised to become the new House Majority Leader, Ann Cierley recalls when her cousin, longtime Texas congressman Jim Wright, held that position. "He made at least a half-dozen personal overnight trips to Bakersfield during that time and it was such fun to go out to the airport to pick him up with my car always being met by Secret Service before I could even park! One of Jim's favorite stories to this day (he's 91 now) is coming through the lobby at Meadows Field and being stopped by a local who upon recognizing him, gasped 'Didn't you used to be Jim Wright?'  He laughed delightedly and hugged the man warmly, saying in that great Texas drawl, 'Well, Ah still am and hope to be for a lil' while yet.'"

 * … POW: And finally there was this interesting historical footnote from another 90-year-old, Joyce Winter. It was February 1946 and her husband, Fred Winter, was in the 2nd Armored Division. "They were among the first to fight their way into Berlin at the end of WWII.  They also had occupation duty. When Fred was home from the war for a week, he captured a German soldier. How?  Fred was building fence for a friend in Caliente and a man approached him with his hands up. He was an 'escapee' from the POW camp near Lamont and was cold and hungry  Fred helped return the POW to the camp."