Experts say Californians can expect power blackouts for years to come, Daniel Root becomes a partner in a local law firm, the ugly state of a summer in Bakersfield and is the starter home a thing of the past?

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.

 * ... BLACKOUTS: If you think things are bad now with the California electrical grid, hang on because this could be a seriously issue for decades to come. We saw it this summer with Gov. Newsom announced a deadline to end the sale of gas powered vehicles in California, followed by the state asking the owners of electric vehicles not to charge their cars during the heat wave. And now experts warn that Californians

will be dealing with rolling blackouts for years. "The transition away from fossil fuels has complicated energy operations, as an increasing share of electricity is coming from solar and wind farms that produce power only when the sun shines or the wind blows, making the available supply more variable over a 24-hour period," said one expert in the Wall Street Journal.

 * ... RIP STARTER HOMES: Has America's love affair with "the starter home" come to an end? Is there any such thing as a relatively affordable "starter home" for those just starting out and building equity? In Denver, back in the 1990s, starter homes ran around $90,000 yet today the same house is north of $200,000, and the same thing is happening even in housing friendly Kern County, where the average price of a house is now over $300,000. Said the New York Times: "The disappearance of such affordable homes is central to the American housing crisis. The nation has a deepening shortage of housing... The affordable end of the market has been squeezed from every side. Land costs have risen steeply in booming parts of the country. Construction materials and government fees have become more expensive." And then there are the rising interest rates, all of which seem to spell the end of affordable housing as we once knew it.

 * ... SEXUAL PREDATORS: The profile of a typical sexual predator may read like this: a popular, engaging man in a position of power who uses his influence to curry favor with power brokers while grooming unsuspecting victims with gifts, kindness and attention, all the while subjecting his victims to hideous assaults while the predator maintains his public position of a generous, engaging leader. (The Catholic Church provides us with textbook examples of this) Predators come in all shapes and sizes, but they often come from the ranks of positions that give them access to young children: Scout leaders, teachers, a family friend, an uncle, a doctor and more often than not, a family priest. And that is exactly the theme of a new book that details how a family doctor repeatedly molested a young teenager and how that victim suppressed the memory of that for years. That man and victim is Jeff Pickering, the former head of the Kern Community Foundation, who just published a book detailing all the lurid aspects of his experience at the hands of a Florida doctor who continues to practice to this day. The book, "Better at the Broken Places," is available for pre-order on Amazon. Pickering will be in Bakersfield to promote the book, and sign copies, at Imbibe Wine and Spirits on the afternoon of Oct. 20.

 * .. DANIEL ROOT: A young Bakersfield man has been named a partner in the local law firm of Belden Blaine Raytis LLP. Daniel M. Root, son of the late Dr. Mark Root and his wife Bernadette, has been handling business, water and environmental, real estate and employment at the firm and now becomes one of its partners.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: A woman who was driving downtown witnessed a vagrant squatting down to defecate on 23rd Street. Her post: "I just witnessed a drive-by shitting."

 * ... BAD LOOK: Coming off yet another hot summer, Bakersfield is not looking its best. Lawns and shrubs are beaten down and scorched by long periods of extreme temperatures, the air quality is miserable, homeless fires have burned countless empty buildings and the sight of skinny, dirty street vagrants sleeping on the sidewalks has become an embarrassing spectacle that surprises no one. And now, you can add to the draining to Lake Truxtun and the lakes at the Park at RiverWalk to the decisions that have rendered our community ugly and irritable.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this picture from the Kern County of Old Facebook group. "Soldiers soon to join the war in France assemble on the Bakersfield courthouse steps in April 1917. Civil War veterans (last row) stand behind them."

Local business executive Majid Mojibi killed after being hit by a car on F Street, we welcome Fall after a brutal summer and Jeff Pickering writes a book on his own molestation at the hands of a family doctor

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. 

* ... RIP MAJID: I was saddened to hear about the tragic death of Majid Mojibi, the local businessman who ran the San Joaquin Oil Refinery and invested heavily in downtown.  Mojibi was killed last weekend while crossing F Street to attend a concert. Few details are available to know exactly what happened. Interesting, it was Mojibi who recently purchased the old Greyhound bus station downtown and razed it, presumably for a multi-floor apartment building. No word on how his death may affect those plans. (Bakersfield Californian photo of Majid with former Supervisor Michael Rubio and wife)

 * ... WELCOME FALL: We had a brutal summer, hottest in a long time, so don't blame us if we spend a few minutes giving a big welcome to Fall, which started today. In celebration, enjoy this local photo from JoJo Parades Butingen who regularly provides stunning nature photography.

 

* ... CASE COMPLETE: An appellate court has officially put the last nail in the coffin of Craig Harrison's slander lawsuit against a former protege and monk who accused him of inappropriate contact with young men. The court ruled Harrison's failed lawsuit as a "case complete" after denying Harrison's request for a rehearing. This ends Harrison's legal offensive against former colleague Ryan Gilligan, the young Bakersfield man who worked with Harrison at St. Francis Parish and later studied to become a Benedictine monk. Harrison was suspended from his duties as a priest after the Fresno Diocese eventually found there was "credible" evidence to believe that as many as 7 young men had been subjected to Harrison's inappropriate behavior. Harrison later resigned from the church and the Diocese has gone about the process of removing all signage that associated Harrison as a monsignor at St. Francis, including one naming a youth center after Harrison. One of the few places where Harrison's name remains in public, at least recently, was at the small chapel room at Dignity Health's Memorial Hospital where his name remains on the door. Harrison has not been charged with any criminal offenses because the statute of limitations expired, but he faces multiple civil lawsuits from men who claimed they were abused by Harrison while he was serving as a priest.

 * .... JEFF PICKERING: Meanwhile as long as we are talking about people in power being accused of lewd behavior, former Bakersfield non profit executive Jeff Pickering is publishing a book detailing his own encounter with a family doctor who allegedly repeatedly molested Pickering after he suffered a softball injury as a teenager. Formerly head of the Kern Community Foundation, Pickering now lives in Florida where he heads a similar foundation and only recently began to explore a chapter in his life that he had long suppressed. His book, available for pre order now on Amazon, details in graphic detail his molestation at the hands of an Orlando family doctor when he was just a teenager, and how society inadvertently joined the cover up as so often is these cases.

 * ... ART SHOW: A show featuring the works of artist Ryan Rickard opens at Bird Dog Arts at the Outlets of Tejon this weekend. Rickard, who studied at the Savannah Center of Art and Design (SCAD), will feature works of art derived from old discarded objects he found locally, including a propane tank and other items. Definitely a show worth checking out. (photo by The Californian)

 * ... MEMORIES: Let's take a walk down memory lane with a few entries into the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, a wonderful place to catch up on our history. Enjoy.

When Starbucks opened its doors (and bathrooms) to the homeless did it also welcome in the coronavirus? Plus Jeff Pickering's hunt for a monster, and are you ready for a two-week lockdown?

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.

 * ... HOARDING AND THE VIRUS: Now that we have survived our first weekend of hoarding and "social distancing" over fears of the coronavirus, are you ready for a total 14-day lockdown ? As

Draconian as that sounds, get ready for it. Throughout Europe - in Italy, France, Spain and Denmark - governments have put the nations on lockdown. The only businesses that are open are banks, grocery stores and gas stations. If you can work at home, do it. Otherwise everything is closed: no bars, restaurants, sporting events or cafes. My hunch is that President Trump, sensing that his reelection is now at stake, will opt for a forceful action that will curtail the virus and show America he is an effective leader. Get ready for it.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I don’t want to be presumptuous, but you can also just wash your hands even if there’s not some pandemic currently capturing your attention. It doesn’t have to be a special occasion."

 * ... GLASS HALF FULL: Meanwhile, is there light at the end of the tunnel? Can something good come from all of this? According to trend forecaster Li Edelkoort, this may be the best thing that has happened to the planet in years. First, Edelkoort said the coronavirus epidemic will lead to "a global recession of a magnitude that has not been experienced before" but will eventually allow humanity to reset its values. According to the website Dezeen, Edelkoort said the virus was causing a "quarantine of consumption" and would have a profound cultural and economic impact. "People would have to get used to living with fewer possessions and traveling less, she said, as the virus disrupts global supply chains and transportation networks. "It seems we are massively entering a quarantine of consumption where we will learn how to be happy just with a simple dress, rediscovering old favorites we own, reading a forgotten book and cooking up a storm to make life beautiful," she said. So there you have it, reason for hope.

 * ... STARBUCKS AND THE VIRUS: Remember two years ago when Starbucks decided to open its doors to the homeless, arguing that we should all be more sensitive to the plight of those who live on the street? It sure seemed like a good idea at the time, unless you happened upon a naked homeless man washing his privates in the sink (yes, that happened to me), or had to endure the endless parade of homeless hitting you up for coffee. And now we have the coronavirus where experts say you can contract it simply by touching a surface where a carrier laid his hands. Those same experts now warn it is just a matter of time before the virus infects the homeless community and spreads like wildfire. Outside of nursing homes, there are few more vulnerable populations than the homeless, many drug addicted and most living in filthy and squalid conditions. So now how will you feel about sitting down at a Starbucks table where a homeless man or woman may have sat? Will you willingly share an eating surface at Starbucks where you know a homeless person may have sat just moments before? Will you lay your hands on the "to go" counter as you wait on your carmel macchiato? Have you ever seen a barista disinfecting the inside of a Starbucks? Well neither have I. Ex Starbucks CEO Howard Schulz loved social engineering, and now his company has to live with his decision.

 * ... HUNTING DOWN A MONSTER: Jeff Pickering is better known as the past CEO of the Kern County Community Foundation, which he ran for five years before landing a new gig in his home state of Florida. But Pickering is now known for something other than philanthropy, the victim of a childhood molestation that he repressed for 30 years before the memory was triggered by the #metoo movement. Grappling with issues he had repressed for decade, Pickering decided to track down the man who molested him when he was just 15 years old, an orthopedic doctor who later faced  similar charges of molestation by other men. To Pickering's horror the doctor, William P. Zink, remains practicing today, despite being prosecuted years ago only to see that trail end in an acquittal. Zink is now practicing in the Orlando area, just an hour or so from where Pickering now lives. Picketing tracked him down, found he was affiliated with AdventHealth in Orlando, and began lobbying the Adventist CEO and others to have him fired. The lobbying seemed to work, and Zink resigned from his Adventist affiliation but his still working. Undaunted Pickering will not give up, and he is now on a mission to have Zink exposed so he can no longer come into contact with young men. Listen to Pickering's story this Wednesday exclusively on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM on the Richard Beene Show. (Jeff and Stephanie Pickering above and Dr. William Zink below)

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these old photos courtesy of my friend Art Moore and the Kern County History Fans Facebook Page.

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.

New scam involving the cheating website Ashley Madison makes the rounds, more crime downtown and lamenting the trash and litter about town

 * ... SCAM: One of the latest email scams going around involves the controversial website Ashley Madison (ashleymadison.com), which is devoted to connecting men and women who want to cheat on their spouses. The website was hacked, and now thousands of unfaithful cheaters across the world are living in fear of being exposed in their local communities. Of course, if you never signed up, you have nothing to fear, but that doesn't stop scammers from trying to extort a few bucks out of you. One local man received the scam and shared the email, which began like this: "If you want to keep your cheating and lies secret from your significant other, your family, your friends and work contacts then pay very close attention to this email. As what we demand is non-negotiable and you might ruin your life if you decide to ignore this email." It goes on to demand multiple payments or even payment in Bitcoins.

 * ... CRIME: There has been another burst in criminal activity in the Oleander and Westchester areas. Two homes downtown were burglarized in the past two weeks, and both of the break ins happened between noon at 3 p.m. located on alleyways. Similar break ins are reported in Oleander while a rash of car thefts has been reported in the Northwest neighborhoods. We are headed into the holiday season so turn on that alarm and join a neighborhood watch.

 * ... SMALL WORLD: Jeff Pickering, who ran the Kern Community Foundation before leaving to take a similar job in Florida, sent me this note the other day: "Retired Col. Martin Zickert was in today discussing the work of our local veteran's council. During conversation he shared a story of his time in early 1990s as a commanding officer at Edwards AFB. He was adopting his wife's 12 year old daughter and rather than hiring a lawyer, drove the back and forth ride to Bakersfield over several months to complete the process at the Kern County courthouse himself. 'Some of the nicest people I've ever met,' he said. Small world."

 * ... STARS: Kudos to the Stars Music Theater downtown and its attractive new outdoor dining and seating area covered by a beautiful new shade awning. The project at 20th Street and Chester Avenue was made possible by a grant from The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation.

 * ... SPOTTED TWITTER: "I would like to give thanks to the brave men and women who died a long time ago tasting which plants were edible and which plants were not."

 * ... TRASH: Randy Dickow recently hiked a 140-mile segment of the Camino de Santiago trail from southern France to Pamplona, Spain (how fun does that sound?) and he had this observation. "Litter, it is beneath us. Along with retired Superior Court Judge Jon Stuebbe and another friend from the coast we just hiked" the 140 miles and "it quickly became very obvious that litter is not a problem over there. I saw a total of three pieces of litter during the entire adventure. This path is not some little used trail in the wilderness, but goes though hamlets, villages and cities. Over 250,000 people use it every year. Just sayin', 140 miles and no litter. I can't walk 14 feet here without seeing lots of trash.

 * ... ACHIEVER: It was nice to see the photo of a smiling Rachel Goldner on the front of Fordham University's website the other day. The daughter of local attorney Barry Goldner and county counsel Teresa Goldner, Rachel graduated from Fordham University last year and is now working in Manhattan.

Is the Bakersfield Prayer Breakfast exclusionary by focusing on the Christian view of Jesus? And more memories of Banducci's Corner restaurant out on Weedpatch Highway

 * ... PRAYER BREAKFAST: The Bakersfield Prayer Breakfast is coming up next week and will celebrate 33 years as an annual event. It is always a popular event but some in our community are questioning if its Christian-centric theme is exclusionary. The event promotes the Christian view of Jesus, but what about all the Sikhs, Muslims, Jews and others who call Bakersfield home? A friend of mine who happens to be Jewish noted that while the event may not be an official City of Bakersfield event, the exclusionary nature is apparent "... from the 'cross' imagery to the Ephesians reference to the statement of purpose 'to bring citizens together in the name and spirit of Jesus Christ to offer gratitude and praise to God and to pray for our community, government and leaders.' I thought we were past this already. Unfortunately, it seems that our own local theocrats, who are amongst the first to howl about religious intolerance when it occurs in other countries, have an agenda in mind, and it doesn't include us." Local lawyer Joseph Hanson spoke for the organizing committee and noted the event is facilitated by a group of lay persons, not the city or a church. "Our purpose statement is on all our advertising and it is printed in the program each year," he told me. "It states that we gather in the name and spirit of Jesus. We do not hide that. What would make it exclusive would be to state that only 'Christians' or only 'Followers of Jesus' are invited. That has never been the case... If people attend and leave encouraged by the message or the prayers offered by community members, the committee would say that we have accomplished our goal and each year this is what we experience."

* ... SPOTTED: On a less serious note, Jeff Pickering, president of the Kern Community Foundation, posted this heart warming message on Facebook after brushing his 7-year-old daughter's hair. "Olivia (as I was brushing her hair): 'Daddy, how many hairs are on a human head?' Me: 'I don't know, why don't we count?' Olivia: 'Okay, but let's use your head so it will take less time.'" (file photo of Jeff Pickering)

* ... BANDUCCI'S: More fond memories of the old Banducci's Corner restaurant. Said Mary Sams Durham: "I too have very fond memories of Banducci's and I remember having lunch with my daughter, Cyndi Blankenship, at Sinaloa when they were located in the Wool Grower's building. This was in the late 1950. Since we are going down 'Memory Lane' how many remember swimming in the old Lakeside pool? Many kids from the Arvin and Lamont areas were bused there to swim. I was one of those kids."

 * ... MORE BANDUCCI'S: Norale Boyle wrote to say her favorite meal at Banducci's was ravioli, made from three different meats roasted for several days beforehand. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone still had the recipe?" And former Assemblyman Trice Harvey called to tell me he was a health inspector at the time, and that the owners of Banducci's asked him not to come during lunch because they didn't want to bother the customers.

 * ... MEMORY LANE: And speaking of memory lane, the recent closing of the Green Frog Market prompted Joe Fontaine to send me this: "A lot of people are lamenting the recent closure of the Green Frog Market. How many of them are Bakersfield old timers who remember its original location on the southeast corner of Chester and California avenues? My memory of that location for goes back to December 7, 1941. I was sent on an errand to the Green Frog that morning to buy a quart of milk. Everyone in the store was all abuzz about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I rushed back home to break the news to my family. How many Bakersfield old timers remember the Palms Liquor Store on the northwest corner across from the Green Frog? It is still there today but sadly the palm trees that graced that corner are long gone. That was years before the 'shoe' at 10th and Chester was built to house a shoe repair shop."

Who remembers Migs Apsit? And a newcomer gives his approval of Bakersfield

 * ... GOOD IMPRESSION: Always encouraging to hear how much newcomers enjoy our community, which is why I enjoyed the email from Jeff Pickering, the new head of the Kern Community Foundation. Jeff, his wife Stephanie and their two children moved to Haggin Oaks from Florida earlier this year.  This was their first year stopping by Dustin's  Diner, the Haggin Oaks hot cocoa stand that yearly raises more than $10,000 for the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter. "As newcomers, this tradition is one of the many reasons we have come to love our new hometown of Bakersfield," he said. "Thanks to your efforts to shine a light on some of the 'bright spots' in our community." Their children are Colin, 6, and  Olivia, 5.

 * ... NEW GIG: For you fans of Rachel Legan and her brother Dustin, longtime morning anchors on 101.5 KGFM, they have now moved over to Hot Hits 93.1, a sister station of American General Media. The "Rachel and Dustin in the Morning" show has become a community staple, featuring such hilarious takes as "Missed Connections," a laugh-out-loud gig where the hosts pull the most outlandish romantic missed connections off Craigslist and read them on the air. AGM says Tony Manes will take over mornings on KGFM.

 * ... WHERE'S MIGS? Reader Joe Boone dropped me a note wondering if anyone remembered a former East High teacher named Migs Apsit. "He would take a bus load of students, on summer vacation, around the U.S. The Californian would print photos of the group at well know sites, such as on the Capitol steps, Yellowstone etc. Perhaps there might be a reader who was lucky enough to participate? I almost made the trip in 1959 but at the last minute a family health issue made me and a buddy back out."

 * ... MERCY GRANTS: The Friends of Mercy Foundation has given out $20,000 to local charities, another boost in the arm to so many deserving non-profits during this economic downturn. The grants came from the endowment in honor of Sister Phyllis Hughes, who was hospital president from 1982 to 1987. Among those receiving grants were BARC, Community Action Partnership of Kern, food bank; Kern Comprehensive Cancer Awareness Partnership, the Special Olympics and St. John's Missionary Baptist Church.

 * ... MORE GRANTS: Speaking of grants, the Catholic Healthcare West Community Grants Program also announced a total of $217,767 in awards. This money comes from both Memorial and Mercy hospitals. Among those non profits who were awarded grants were Alliance Against Family Violence, Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County, Bakersfield Police Activities League, California Veterans Assistance Foundation, CASA of Kern County, Golden Empire Gleaners, Henrietta Weill Child Guidance Clinic, MARE, the MS Society and the West Side Community Resource Center.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Reader Dennis Horack says you know you're a Bakersfield old-timer if "you remember the big slide at Valley Plaza, owned by my good friend Don Carter, a former Bakersfield Californian newspaper distributor. Also, if you remember the Dove Restaurant in east Bakersfield and the House of Don restaurant on Union Avenue. Thanks for the good old days."