Experts fear a "suicide contagion" after the deaths of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, a young cowboy lifts my spirits and Dr. Horace Mitchell gets a rousing sendoff

Monday, June 11, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. 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.

 * ... SUICIDE: How many of us have been touched by the tragedy of suicide? How many of us have lost a loved one, family member or a friend from the despair of depression? It is more

widespread than you might think, and it comes as little surprise that the suicide rate in the United States has jumped 30 percent since 1996. And now with the suicides of designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain, experts are worrying about something called "suicide contagion," where suicides spike in the wake of celebrity suicides that gather a lot of media attention. Madelyn Gould, a professor at Columbia University, told The Los Angeles Times that research has shown that the phenomenon is real and suggests that media coverage of celebrity deaths can influence those who are vulnerable or at risk and can lead to a spike in suicide rates.

 * ... HERE AT HOME: Most suicides go unreported by the media out of respect for the families and survivors, but some are too public to ignore. Locally, we have experienced more than our share: community activist Jai Bernstein killed herself in Hart Park, city councilman Jeff Tkac did so a mere week after taking office, and local farmer Jeff Thompson committed suicide as well.

 * ... CHOOSE LIFE: In the midst of all this heartache about suicide, state Senate candidate Shannon Grove posted a picture on Facebook that lifted my spirits. Grove was at the Glennville Rodeo when she spotted a cute little boy in a cowboy hat. She posted this with the picture: "Nathan living life to the fullest - competed in his first rodeo - got a trophy. God has big plans for Nathan, I know this because he was a safe surrender baby, 1 lb 4 oz when he was born. Nathan has always wanted to be a cowboy."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Drove through Rocky Mountain National park today so my kids could enjoy the beautiful scenery of their iPads."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "I just wanna be rich enough to forget when payday is."

 * ... RAISING CANE'S: One of the country's most highly rated fast food chicken restaurants - Raising Cane's - is coming to Bakersfield. Construction is under way at the corner of Coffee Road and Downing. No word on when it will open but they are advertising for employees. Cane's is known for its singular focus on chicken, and its meals are said to feature some of the best chicken strips around.

* ... HORACE MITCHELL: A dinner honoring outgoing CSUB President Horace Mitchell was held this weekend at the Marriott, drawing a huge crowd of local dignitaries from academia and local businesses. Some 400 people attended to say farewell to the man who has guided CSUB for the past 14 years. Mitchell told me he and his wife Barbara are planning to retire in Huntington Beach, where they have owned a home for years. Among the honors bestowed on Mitchell was a key to the city presented by Mayor Karen Goh.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this photo from the corner of Chester and 20th Street, the northeast corner, then and now.

If it's election season in Kern County, is it any surprise that charges of dirty politics arise in the days before the election? And is someone lying and then trying to cover it up? And a classic 1936 truck disappears from a downtown home

Monday, June 4, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. 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.

 * ... ELECTIONS: I suspect there will be few surprises in this week's primary election. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will move on to November likely to face Democrat Tatiana Matta, who looks like the sharpest of the Democrats vying for the seat. Shannon Grove and Vince Fong will

move on with no problem, and my money is on Sheriff Donny Youngblood to beat challenger Justin Fleeman in a romp. But that doesn't mean there isn't drama. Will district attorney candidate Cynthia Zimmer be hurt by revelations that legally questionable TV ads were aired supporting her campaign? She is locked in a tight one with assistant DA Scott Spielman. And in the hottest judge's race, will Brandon Martin be hurt by revelations that his candidacy may in fact be tainted itself because his degree to practice law was suspended eight years ago? Stay tuned it will be a fun week.

 * ... POLITICAL HIJINKS?: Keep an eye on what happens when someone looks into the behavior of Cathy Abernathy's Western Pacific Research in support of district attorney candidate Cynthia Zimmer. This much is known: staffers from WPR may have violated the law by coordinating the airing of pro Zimmer campaign ads on several local TV stations. What is more interesting is that Abernathy denied any wrongdoing, as did Zimmer, who said she had not used WPR since earlier in the year after the death of Mark Abernathy. Yet, campaign disclosure statements show that Zimmer's campaign was paying WPR for services as late as the April and May reporting period. So who is lying here? Or are we all consuming so much Ambien it is clouding our memories?

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I tried killing a spider with hairspray. He’s still alive, but his hair looks outstanding."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "You cannot make everybody happy. You are not a taco."

 * ... HARVEY HALL: It took literally minutes after the public service for late Mayor Harvey Hall before the sniping started on social media. The topic: apparently Hall's biological daughter Shelley Christine Brown was not invited to speak while her half sister, Amy, did pay tribute to her father. Brown posted her lament on Facebook and it was quickly shared. My advice: every family has its issues and frankly it is none of our business. Going on Facebook to lament that Shelley was not part of the inner circle is dabbling in private family matters that should be left to the Hall family and them alone. (photo by Felix Adamo)

 * ... BEAUTIFUL BAKERSFIELD: The Beautiful Bakersfield Awards were held this weekend, a night that sponsor KGET hypes as "Bakersfield's version of the Oscars." The evening does recognize some good work and people around town, but comparing it to the Oscars is like comparing the Bakersfield dirt tack speedway to the Monaco Grand Prix. It's a painfully long evening for those forced to endure it and I wouldn't wish it on anybody, but as I said, some good folks and organizations are honored. A couple of my favorites: the 17th Place Townhomes won the award for architecture and design, Bob Meadows of Mission Bank won business person of the year and CSUB President Horace Mitchell was honored with a chairman's award.

 * ... STOLEN TRUCK: A classic 1936 red truck was stolen out of a driveway on 20th Street downtown the other day. The truck. purchased new by the owner's late father, is a fixture in the annual July Fourth Westchester parade. Contact Bakersfield police if you see it.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of the original City Hall compliments of the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page. The caption reads: "Originally the Kern County Courthouse, it became City Hall in 1912. It was badly damaged in the '2 quake and had to be demolished. The new City Hall occupies the same spot today. This view is southwest at Truxtun and Chester. The Mission style tile roof in the foreground suggests this was taken from a perch on the Hotel El Tejon which, by the looks of the cars, would put this between 1926 and 1930ish."

New fractures in the town-gown relationship between CSUB and its supporters and Ben Stinson resigns from the Foundation Board

 * .... CSUB: The deteriorating relationship between the administration at Cal State Bakersfield and some of its biggest supporters has gotten so bad it is affecting the university's ability to raise money. And for the first time, some long-time CSUB supporters are openly questioning the leadership of President Horace Mitchell. At the center of the storm is Beverly Byl, the vice president of University Advancement who Mitchell recruited from the University of the Pacific three years ago. Insiders describe her as dictatorial and paranoid, and she has managed to both insult and alienate some of the school's biggest supporters, including members of the alumni board and the CSUB Foundation. Last week outgoing Foundation chair Geoff King publicly called on Byl to resign, and I have now learned that Ben Stinson (Stinson's Stationers) resigned from the Foundation Board because of Byl's divisive nature. In addition, Stinson apparently sent word to Mitchell that he would not write another check to support the athletic programs until Byl was gone. Both King and Stinson are CSUB graduates and Foundation chairs and they represent the kind of supporters no university can afford to alienate. I have also learned that King, Stinson and former Foundation chairs Mel Atkinson, Rogers Brandon and Greg Bynum met with Mitchell 18 months ago to share their concerns about Byl, but it fell on deaf ears. The climate inside the University Advancement office is described as "a constant state of paranoia" where employees fear Byl will cut their pay or eliminate their position if she feels one is not on her team. Up to this point Mitchell has enjoyed widespread support, but as one insider told me: "All this could really hurt Horace's legacy." Stay tuned. (file photos of Byl, Mitchell)

 

 * ... OLD GLORY: Steve McCalley wrote in response to an early reader's complaint about American flags being made in China. "I have purchased my flags at Congressman Kevin McCarthy's office for several years. Made in the USA for under 20 bucks." Mary Helen Barro added that American-made flags are also on sale at Floyd's and Supply Sergeant, and reader Pat Mahan said Orchard Hardware Supply also has flags made in the USA.

 * ... FREDDIE'S: An earlier blog about Freddie's Top of the Hill drew this response from reader Gene Bonus. He noted his Garces class of 1957 had its 10-year reunion there because a classmate, Bradley Paola, was a nephew of the original owner. "One of the most famous watering holes in Bakersfield at that time was Amestoy's On the Hill. That place was always jumping. Amestoy's served excellent lunches and it was the place to be, especially on weekends. After being separated from the Navy and having returned to college (Bakersfield JC and Fresno State College extension) I spent many days at Amestoy's studying. According to legend, Mr. Paola named his place Top of the Hill since Frank and Marie Amestoy already had On the Hill."

 * ... MORE FREDDIE'S: Phillip Beltran grew up in Oildale where he went to North High, moved to Santa Clarita and was back visiting his parents when he read my blog about Freddie's. He noted that his father, Ray Beltran Jr., used to work for Freddie Giovanitte at the Skyway House restaurant out at Meadows field. "You also had a reader mention the Rio Grande service station at the corner of Roberts Lane and Chester. I don't know how many of your readers recall Sandy's Drive In at the east end of Roberts Lane before the extension of Manor Drive was completed. Sandy's sat facing west where that intersection came to a T.... Life as a child in Oildale was carefree and fun. We didn't have cell phones but our parents never worried where we were. Our time to come home was before the streetlights came on. Thank you for publishing memories in your column."

 * .... LAST WORD: And there is this from John N. Mixon: "Don't believe in beating a dead horse, but couldn't resist mentioned that you are really an old time if you remember when Freddie had a small restaurant at the Garces Circle and later at the airport before Top of the Hill. Also was the victim of an unsolved murder."

 * ... TAX ATTORNEY: Mark Allison, a Foothill High graduate who went on to graduate from Claremont McKenna, has joined the law firm of Caplin and Drysdale in New York. Mark is the son of Bob and Heidi Allison. He earned his law degrees from American University and New York University. He will be a New York based member in the tax controversies and tax litigation unit.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader LaVone Walker: You know you're from Bakersfield if you remember when there was a train, zoo and bumper cars at Hart Park.

Inga Barks show is canceled and more moves in the CSUB development office

*  ... CSUB MOVES: There's been more movement over at the Cal State Bakersfield development office following a period of extreme upheaval. This is the chief fund raising office run by Beverly Byl, the person who was brought in by President Horace Mitchell but who has struggled to establish a local constituency over her own. Under the Byl regime, longtime development officer Laura Wolfe was forced out and others, including Sheri Horn Bunk and Kathy Miller, left on their own for greener pastures. Byl's leadership style has a sharp edge but give her credit but trying to bring on people with connections. First she hired former San Joaquin Bank CEO Bart Hill to a new position to oversee major gifts, and now she has hired Rob Meszaros as head of communications. Both Hill and Meszaros are well connected, smart hires. Meszaros is particularly gifted in the marketing arena. I know  this because he is leaving The Californian to join CSUB. Their gain is our loss.

 * ... INGA BARKS: It looks like we've heard the last from Inga Barks' local talk show, at least in terms of her long-running morning gig on KERN 1180 Talk Radio. The show has been canceled but she is still working at the station and will apparently reemerge in some other capacity. Inga is among the gaggle of local talk show hosts who adopted the FOX News model of angry partisan talk. It appears that like so many before her (remember Bill Manders?) that she simply ran out of runway. Starting Monday, the MoneyWise Guys will run from 10 a.m. to noon and morning host Scott Cox will temporarily add an hour to his program until a new full lineup is announced. Stay tuned.

*  ... VEGAS AWARD: It was nice to hear from Marjorie Bell, the talented and popular retired journalism and English teacher over at Bakersfield High School. She noted that one of her former students, Liz Benston, recently won an award for her reporting on financial problems at a resort complex in Las Vegas. Liz is a reporter at the Las Vegas Sun and the daughter of Carol and Dick Benston, retired English professors at Bakersfield College. Liz graduated from Bryn Mawr College outside of Philadelphia and has won a number of awards in her journalism career.

 * ... DRILLER NATION: Jay  Gauthier is an old friend and work colleague who wanted to share that three of his five children are now in college. They include daughter Taylor at Cal State Fullerton, son Jadon at Biola University and son Zach at Cal State Bakersfield. Another daughter Morgan already graduated from CSUB and daughter Spencer is a sophomore at Bakersfield High. In fact, all five are Drillers. This is the week when all college acceptances should be in hand, so if you'd like to share your good news, drop me an email.

 * ... EASTER WEEKEND: This is a weekend to celebrate with family and friends and to embrace our blessings, no matter your religion or if you are spiritual at all. All of our picnic areas, from Beach Park to Hart Park and the Park at RiverWalk, will be filled to capacity wall to wall. So let's try to make it through the weekend safely and without any bad behavior. If you drink, don't drive. If you are on the road, drive carefully. Enjoy the weekend.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD: You know you're from Bakersfield when "you no longer associate bridges with water."

Short takes around town: Another "First Friday" is upon us, another departure for CSUB fund raising, and a local kid makes us proud

Lots happening around our community so here are some short tidbits around town:

* ... ANOTHER OUT AT CSUB: There's been more turnover in the fund raising office over at Cal State Bakersfield. Sheri Horn Bunk is the latest to leave, opting instead to become Foundation Director over at Taft College. This follows the departure of longtime employee Laura Wolfe, who according to President Horace Mitchell was the victim of budget cuts. Still, the departures of Wolfe and now Bunk have many university supporters talking about new development head Beverly Byl and where she's taking the team.

* ... LATIN ART EXHIBIT: Make sure to redline this Friday on your calendar. After all, it is “first Friday” and downtown will be buzzing. The weather should be perfect (if a tad warm) and make sure to stop by Metro Galleries over on 19th Street to catch “Latination,” a juried show of art with an Hispanic theme. Some of this stuff is quite good and Don Martin, galleries owner, tells me there will be complimentary Mexican eats along with a no host margarita bar. The pictures below are by Patti Dolittle (red scarf) and Kim Jessup.





* ... BUSINESS INDUSTRY BREAKFAST: The 24th Annual Business and Industry Leaders Breakfast is set for Thursday, Sept. 17, over at the Petroleum Club. This is put on by the Golden Empire Gleaners and is always a good place to network with local business leaders. This year’s speaker: Sean McNally, vice president of corporate and government affairs for Grimmway Farms. Call 661-324-2767 for more information.

* ... JUST THINKING: Is there any weirder story than the arrest of Phillip Garrido in the abduction of Jaycee Lee Dugard? You have to wonder how this one case will affect California’s plan to partially relieve the budget mess by paroling thousands of prisoners early. And it has certainly raised questions about a system that paroles a man like Garrido, who served only 11 years in prison after a rape and kidnapping that landed him a 50-year sentence. Expect a huge outcry in the name of this poor girl who spent 18 years held against her will.

* ... LOCAL KID DOES GOOD: Always nice to recognize local kids doing well. The latest is Troy Harvey, a Bakersfield High and Bakersfield College grad and former Californian photography intern, who graduated Sunday from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. Troy is now in the job market and is contemplating whether to remain in Southern California or to return to Bakersfield. Thanks to former Californian photographer John Harte for the tip on Troy and the picture below.

Bako bits: From social networking as a marketing tool to rumblings at CSUB to upside down mortgages

Wrapping up the week and cleaning off my desk as we head into another weekend. School starts next week and fall is coming. Let's get to it:

* ... RUMBLINGS OVER AT CSUB: I seem to have hit a nerve with my mention that longtime Cal State community liaison Laura Wolfe had been ousted. (read previous post here) Got a couple calls from CSUB insiders who were lamenting the loss of Laura, who spent 14 years with the university building better relations between the school and the community. Laura worked for Mike Chertok, who retired and was replaced by Beverly Byl, brought in by President Horace Mitchell. Give Horace credit: he has single handedly raised the stature of the university in the community through sheer good will, focus and great personal charm. Which is why insiders are puzzled over the choice of Beverly, who one person described as one who moves through a room with sharp elbows. No doubt the dismissal of Laura Wolfe was a move that addressed two concerns: one budgetary and the other the desire to build your own team. President Mitchell called me and said there was no "personal agenda" in the firing of Wolfe but rather it was a consequence of the budget crisis. He noted, for example, that the state budget contribution to CSUB was less this year than it was five years ago when he came on board. Still, there's lots of chatter about Byl, including her desire to bring all the fund raising under one umbrella as opposed to athletics raising money for one thing and an academic endeavor for another. Folks are talking and the university really can't afford to squander the good will Horace has earned. No doubt there will be more on this later.



* ... MARKETING ON FACEBOOK? Read with interest a piece that said 63 percent of all companies planned to increase their spending on social media this year. That's not too surprising since a recent study by the Association of National Advertisers said 66 percent of marketers have now used social media in some form. The top platforms being utilized: Facebook (74 percent), YouTube (65 percent), Twitter (63 percent) and LinkedIn (60 percent). Locally, a good example would be Mary Christenson, the longtime high end Watson-Touchstone Realtor who has embraced Facebook and made it one of her marketing devices. If she lists a new home in Seven Oaks, she'll post a message on it. Trouble with appraisals? She's all over it. Mary is savvy enough to recognize there's a terrific audience and all it takes is her time. At The Californian, marketing director Rob Meszaros has used Facebook and Twitter extensively in marketing the new Monday-Friday tabloid that debuts next week.

* ... UPSIDE DOWN MORTGAGE? Amazed to read in The Californian yesterday that fully half of all mortgages in Bakersfield are now upside down. That means the homeowners basically owe more than the home is worth, thanks to months of falling housing prices. That can't bode well for future foreclosures. The depth of recession cannot be underestimated. Last week it was reported that one in every 10 mortgages in the entire state of California is in foreclosure.

* ... LATIN SHOW AT METRO GALLERIES: Don Martin over at the Metro Galleries downtown is busy preparing for Latination, a project sponsored by his gallery and MAS magazine. The deadline for entries for the show is next week, so drop them off between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday over at Metro, 1604 19th Street. Selected pieces in the juried exhibit will be displayed at the gallery during September. Contact Don with any questions at 634-9598.

"The Rec" Opens at CSUB and a commuter school starts to grow up

It's a good day for the students out at Cal State Bakersfield where the new Student Recreation Center has officially opened. The school held a nice little dedication ceremony under a warm sun with the sparkling new "Rec" gleaming in the background. I use the term "the Rec" because student leaders said that's how it is already known among students, who voted several years ago to help fund the center themselves via a student activity fee. We did a quick tour and the place is stunning: four full indoor basketball courts, an elevated cushioned track, tons of cardio machines before a tall bank of flat screen TVs, karate room, cardio rooms, personal trainers available, a rock climbing wall... pretty much anything a student could want. Facilities like these, albeit on a much grander scale, are the norm at the large state universities and students have come to expect them as a place to stay in shape and socialize. This is yet another important step on President Horace Mitchell's stated quest to bring an authentic student experience to this largely commuter school. It seems to be working: as we toured the Rec Center there was evidence that "Greek week" had just ended. Photos below of inside "The Rec" and evidence of Greek week.

New CSUB rec center ready to open, another step in school's drive for a total "student experience"

Passed by the new Student Recreation Center over at Cal State today and it's looking almost ready to open. It's a stunning facility from the outside and should help the school in both recruiting new students and retaining the ones they have. The rec center is funded by student activity fees. You have to hand it to CSUB President Horace Mitchell: he is determined to help the university evolve from the commuter school it is today to a full fledged university with a true "student experience." Part of that "experience" is having a top notch workout facility and that looks like it's about to happen. Mitchell has already welcomed Greek organizations to the school (another key part of the "student experience") and the school now has a Division 1 baseball team playing on campus. The final, and most difficult hurdle will be dormitories for students living on campus. No word on when - or if - that will happen but it's a key ingredient.

Bako Bits: Rumblings and buzz about banks, baseball, Twitter and a silly slow speed chase

Cleaning out the cupboard before a long Easter weekend, buzz about town:
* Lots of chatter about the Federal Reserve cracking down on locally owned San Joaquin Bank (read previous post here). Insiders say this is no time to panic, the bank has tons of cash and that San Joaquin is simply undergoing the same intense scrutiny that all banks are in this climate. Others say the folks over at the newly formed Valley Republic Bank (see previous post here) smell blood in the water and see this as an opportunity to boast that its balance sheet is clean of any toxic assets by virtue that it's a brand new bank in town being run by trusted locals. There no doubt will be more of this to come.
* You have to wonder what the folks over at KGET TV were thinking this morning, devoting way too much time having Kyoshi and lapmate follow an excruciatingly boring slow speed chase in south Orange County of all places. Say what? Can't believe there wasn't more compelling local content about our community that deserved airtime.
* CSUB baseball is getting a lot of positive buzz in its inaugural year. The Runners have beaten defending national champion Fresno State twice this year and I hear an afternoon over at the new Hardt Field is a delight. Hats off to President Horace Mitchell on his push to bring a bona fide college experience to this largely commuter school. The Runners have games today and Saturday at Hardt Field.
* Am always intrigued with the way politicians have taken to social networking to push their agendas, and few are as good at it than our own Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Kevin used Twitter this morning seeking input from local business people on ways to create jobs.
* Speaking of Twitter, if you are looking for deals and bargains begin following "Bakodeals" for some recession busting bargains around town.