With the Kavanaugh vote behind us, will we ever return to a state of civil dialogue in this country? And it was a weekend full of events including craft beer at Imbibe Wine and Spirits

Monday, October 8, 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.

 * ... KAVANAUGH: I can only speak for myself but I am glad that we have seen the end of the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. No matter where you stand on Kavanaugh, this has been a sad and sordid time for the country. As one friend told me: "I can't speak to my in-laws about it and I am

afraid to even talk about it at work people are so riled up. It's impossible to have a civil dialogue." Opposing Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court doesn't equate to convicting a person without evidence, and neither does supporting his nomination make you a woman hater. It's time to move on. The process and ultimate confirmation vote has boosted the base of both parties, and we will see in November if either party will pay the price at the ballot box.

 * ... MORE KAVANAUGH: A friend on the east coast posted this on her Facebook page: "Let's make Facebook great again. I'm going to refrain from posting or commenting on anything political. It's tearing us apart a a country. I'm going to stick to posts that make people smile or laugh. And, not at the expense of others. Who's with me?"

 * ... WEEKEND: If it's October, you can be sure our weekends are jammed with events. There was the 10th annual Latination Friday night at Metro Galleries, followed by the Greek Food Festival, the Farm to Tableaux event benefitting the Boys and Girls Club, the Valley of Hope Gala for the American Cancer Society, the 20th anniversary of Rabobank arena, the annual Action Sports Marathon at Lake Ming, the Village Flea at the Kern County Museum and Imbibe Wine and Spirit's Craft Bear Festival. And who says there is nothing to do in Bakersfield?

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you enjoy roller coasters and near death experiences, falling in love with a redhead might be right for you."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Sixty may be the new 40 but 9 p.m. is the new midnight."

 * ... OOPS: A sharp eyed friend, Chris Lowe, caught an error in a campaign mailer for Supervisor Mike Maggard. The flyer touted Maggard's accomplishments and included a picture of a freeway with brown hills. The problem: the freeway is in another county. Said Lowe: "Shouldn’t that be a picture from Kern County if you’re running for election in Kern County? The picture is from Ventura county between Calabasas and Agoura Hills. Whoops!"

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old picture looking East on 19th Street, the Bakersfield Opera House is the first building on the right circa 1910.

Dirty politics in Kern County? Tell me it ain't so! District attorney candidate Scott Spielman cries foul , Jane Fonda will appear in town next week and the building that houses Trout's is sold

Friday, June 1, 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. 

 * ... DIRTY POLITICS: Are you shocked to see dirty politics just days before an election? Well this is Kern County, home of Western Pacific Research, the well oiled and successful consulting firm that wrote the manual on last second deceptions and half truths. This time it involved WPR's legally questionable role in last minute advertisements for district attorney candidate Cynthia Zimmer. It turns out the ads were paid for by People's Advocate, a conservative PAC that has direct ties to WPR (both groups share some staffers apparently). The problem here is the ads could violate Measure K, a campaign finance law passed in 2002. Zimmer's opponent, Scott Spielman, is understandably furious and WPR's Cathy Abernathy said she would remove the ad but she denied violating the law. Sounds fishy, right? Well, this is Kern County and we have seen this movie before.

* ...  TROUT'S: So did you hear that the building that housed the iconic Trout's bar on North Chester has sold? Word is it will be converted into a medical complex, marking the end of a long and storied history of one of the last true honkey tonks in Bakersfield. Still missing: the famous Trout's sign that disappeared when the previous owner skipped town.

 * ... HANOI JANE: Jane Fonda is coming to Bakersfield next week, and it looks like she will be greeted by a group of veterans and others who are none too happy that she is in town. Chad Garcia, host of the weekly KernVets radio show on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM, is organizing the protest to call attention to Fonda's anti-war activities and visit to Hanoi during the Vietnam War. Stay tuned because this should be rich.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I replaced 'alcohol dependency and erratic behavior' with 'love dogs and books' in my Match profile and now I have 11 dates lined up."

 * ... GOOD FORM: David Dobbs owns Imbibe Wine and Spirits, the wildly popular wine, craft beer and spirits shop over off Truxtun extension. But what you may not know about him is his deep generosity to various causes, so it should come as no surprise that he has teamed up with the SPCA to help the organization raise money. Next Wednesday on June 6, Imbibe will host a wine tasting featuring "Mixed Breed" wine to raise money to help Julie Johnson and the SPCA raise much needed money. The cost is just $10 and $3 from every bottle of Mixed Breed sold will go straight back to the SPCA.

 * ... MOVING UP: Congratulations to Jennifer Self who has accepted the position of director of communications at Omni Family Health. Self was most recently with Clinica Sierra Vista, and prior to that spent 20-plus years as a lifestyles editors with The Californian. Said Self: "My work advocating on behalf of the medically underserved in our valley has come to mean so much to me, satisfying a part of my soul that I didn't know needed nourishing until I went to the clinics, met the patients and saw the power that community health centers have to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and isolated."

 * ... MEMORIES: This picture appeared on the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page with this caption: "The Arlington House and the brand new William H. Scribner building on Chester Ave. as they looked in 1886. The Arlington was at its peak as one of the finest hostelries in the west. Truly a five star establishment of its day. The Scribner Building housed the A. Edmunds Clothing store and W.H. Scribner's store.  Scribner owned a few buildings in town including the Scribner Water Tower on the corner of Truxtun and Chester. It was the only major downtown structure to survive the 1889 fire. These two buildings were not not so fortunate.

Central valley Republicans Kevin McCarthy and David Valadao pick up challengers, keep an eye on those young protesters and Bakersfield gets another burger joint

 * ... MID TERM ELECTIONS: The Democratic Party has a good chance of retaking the Congress in the mid-term elections, but so far it looks like the Central Valley Republicans are in little danger of losing their seats. Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy got his first challenger this week in Mary

Helen Barro, a longtime Democratic activist but one not likely to be able to mount a serious challenge to McCarthy. And over in the 21st Congressional District, labor activist Dolores Huerta is using her sharp elbows to make sure other Democratics don't join her son, Emilio Huerta, in opposing Rep. David Valadao. Virtually no one gives Emilio Huerta a chance of unseating Valadao. If the Democrats expect to retake the House, they likely will have to pick up seats elsewhere.

 * ... STUDENT PROTESTS: Keep an eye on the young students calling on Congress to enact sweeping gun control. That's the word from CSUB professor Jeanine Kraybill who told me these early protests show the promise of developing into something much deeper and more widespread, reminiscent of the early days of the Vietnam War protests. The political parties that ignore this movement do so at their own peril. 

 * ... EVACUATION: So were you listening to the radio, or watching TV, when the mandatory evacuation order scrolled across the screen? That's right, it called for a "mandatory evacuation" in Kern County and then was quickly dismissed. What happened? It looks like the mistake was make in the county emergency management department. Remember what happened in Hawaii recently? Who has the hand on the button in Kern County?

 * ... WILDEST DREAMS: A popular consignment shop that was once across the street from The Padre Hotel has moved east to 716 19th Street. In Your Wildest Dreams Consignment is now part of the emerging "east of Chester" renaissance that has shown remarkable resilience in the past few years. Expect it to open soon and check out its eclectic wares.

* ... IMBIBE: A couple of events coming up at Imbibe Wine and Spirits that are worthy of your attention. First, on Thursday, March 1, Imbibe will be featuring 13 wineries pouring over 40 high end wines (some over $100 a bottle) from the Mt. Veeder area of the Napa Valley. Tickets are $35 each. Then, the following week on March 14 the craft beers of Barley Forge Brewing will be featured during a tasting that cost just $15. Make sure you check out The Patsy, a coconut beer that is unique and popular.

 * ... CALI BURGER: Yet another burger joint is opening in town, this one off Olive Drive and Highway 99. CaliBurger will open Monday at 10:30 a.m. at 5646 State Road in Oildale, right off the 99 and Olive Drive. The restaurant offers burgers and chicken sandwiches along with "perfectly seasoned fries and delicious shakes." The burger joint has locations in 13 countries, including Spain and Taiwan.

 * ... OLD PHOTO: Check out this picture I borrowed from the Kern County of Old Facebook page. Amazing.

A new report says virtually all of the Central Valley is doing well economically ... except for Bakersfield. Meanwhile, another successful Crabest for the St. Francis Parish and Imbibe features its top 100 wines

Monday February 12, 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. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... CENTRAL VALLEY: A new study by the University of the Pacific has some good and bad news for the Central Valley. The good: Central Valley cities fare well in the study, except for one, and of course that one is Bakersfield. Modesto is doing well as are Sacramento, Fresno and Stockton. But

Bakersfield plunged in the rating. "When economies are so reliant on natural resources like oil or water, external shocks can cause significant drops in a growth based ranking," the report said. It continued: "In Bakersfield's case, it was affected by the contraction in the oil and energy sector and California's drought that only recently ended." 

 * ... ROCK COBBLER: If you noticed hordes of bicyclists around town this weekend you can thank the annual Rock Cobbler, a torturous 80-mile race through the streets, foothills and mountains that is not for the faint of heart. Organized by Sam Ames and Keith Barnden, the race attracted more than 320 riders who crossed through town, tackled the hills overlooking Hart Park and even detoured through the living room of a home off Panorama Drive. That's right, the course took the riders through a resident's back yard and right through his house.

* ... CRABFEST: When it comes to fund raisers it's hard to beat the celebrations hosted by the St. Francis Parish and Monsignor Craig Harrison. Catholics, let's face it, know how to wean more milk from their flock. And this year's Crabfest was no exception, a huge event that drew hundreds to benefit the parish school operations. The dinner, featuring fresh crab, salad, potatoes and quite yummy dry rubbed ribs, honored Mike and Marcie Soper and long time teacher Shirley Ottenstein. Among those I spotted were Rep. Kevin McCarthy and wife Judy, Assemblyman Vince Fong, Mayor Karen Goh, Sheriff Donny Youngblood, former Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, District Attorney candidates Cynthia Zimmer and Scott Spielman, deputy DAs Gina Pearl and Kim Richardson, taxpayer's advocate Mike Turnipseed, Brian and Katie Kirschenman, John and Ginette Brock, Dr. Mark Root and wife Bernadette, George and Cindy Meek, Kim Schaefer, Robin Lake Foster, Jason and Laura Barnes, and too many to list here. But you get it: they know how to raise money for good causes.

 * ... IMBIBE: Imbibe Wine and Spirits held its 10th annual "top 100" wine tasting Saturday and a little known wine from the Suisan Valley near Napa took the top prize. The winner: GrapeHeart Vineyards 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon. My other personal favorite: the 2016 Toloso No Oak chardonnay that sells for under $15 a bottle.

 * ... FOOD: For me, the best food in town is served at our locally and family owned restaurants about town. And there are plenty of them. But perhaps nowhere in town are so many locally owned eateries clustered than downtown. Consider this: within a few square blocks you will find these family run restaurants, and they are all good: Muertos, Chef's Choice Noodle Bar, Mama Roomba, Jin Sushi, TOSSit salad bar, The Mark, Uricchio's Trattoria, Sequoia Sandwich Shop, Cafe Smitten and Bill Lee's.

 * ... CLOCK TOWER: Check out these photos of the old Beale Clock Tower that once stood at Chester and 17th Street.

Burglars clean out a house as the owners watch TV in another room, and get ready for another brew pub (Craft Tap House) to open in a few weeks off Truxtun

 * ... CRIME: Here is a scary scenario: you are at home watching TV with your spouse on a rainy night and unbeknownst to you, a stranger is in your house rifling through your purse just a few feet away in the master bedroom. It happened this week at a home in the Bakersfield Country Club area

and the intruders made off with a purse, jewelry, credit cards and driver's licenses. Said one of the homeowners who asked to remain anonymous: "I'll look great in all my costume jewelry; they were very discriminating criminals. We only turn on the alarm after we go to bed or leave the house. That will change." The theft happened well before 9 p.m. and the couple is now installing security cameras.

* ... BREW PUB: We are only a few weeks away from the opening of a new brew pub in town, this one a project by Imbibe Wine and Spirits owner David Dobbs and a few partners. It will be called Craft Tap House and it will be located in the old Garden Spot building at the corner of Truxtun and Oak Street. Hobbs told me there will be craft beers, wine, mixed drinks and a menu modeled after what you might find at Eureka Burger or Moo Creamery.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "True self control is waiting until the movie starts to eat your popcorn."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Faced with two ill dogs on New Year's day, Beth Ann Michaels found the phone number for Kern Mobile Vet services (Kern Housecall Veterinary Services) in the newspaper classified section and gave them a ring. "The doctors came out for a very nominal feel and examined my two ill dogs," she said. "He has a fully equipped van and all the medications my dogs needed. Another gift for the animal lovers in Bakersfield."

* ... BAD FORM: Shame on the young blonde in the older gray Pontiac, belching smoke, who gunned her engine and floored it to run the red light at Columbus and Union Avenue and somehow avoided a truck that was going through the light on green. In this town, it's always best to look both ways even if you do have the green light.

* ... MEDIA: More changes in the local media scene. The latest: Leeza Starks has been named news director for the Scripps owned KERO-TV 23. She joins the ABC affiliate from KFSN-TV in Fresno where she was assistant news director. She has previously worked in Columbus, Ohio, Jacksonville, Florida and Huntington, West Virginia. Starks replaces Todd Karli who left last month to accept an anchor job in Salisbury, Maryland. Karli's wife, KERO anchor Jackie Parks, will joining him in May.

 * ... LITTER: Don Luvisi offered this note about trash and litter: "Those that are too lazy to properly dispose of their take out food containers/wrappers etc just throw them in the back of the pickup bed. They will be lifted right out in a few miles at freeway speeds. See this all the time, rarely see someone throwing litter out the window."