Is Arvin Mayor Jose Gurrola the most hated man on campus because of his opposition to oil and gas drilling? And more on those initiatives heading to the ballot box in November

Monday, July 2, 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. 

 * ... SALES TAX: How do you feel about the proposed 1 percent increase in the local sales tax? The city promotes it as a way to beef up public safety, but others see it as a way to meet pension obligations for legions of retirees. I spoke with City Manager Alan Tandy recently and he said it

would allow the city to hire 100 more police officers, plus about 60 civilians to support those officers on the streets. In addition, he said it would allow the city fire department to get back to old levels with the addition of some 15 firemen. That is a powerful argument for those of us who believe we need more boots on the ground so to speak, but will it be enough to convince residents to vote yes? Time will tell.

 * ... NOVEMBER BALLOT: The local sales tax question is just one of a number of important initiatives that will be on the November ballot. Prop 6 will ask voters if they want to repeal the huge state gas tax that went into effect a few months ago, there will be two and possibly three marijuana initiatives on the ballot in Kern County (all would allow the sale of medicinal marijuana) and Californians will also be asked if they want to break the state up into three separate states. Even if that last one passes, it only has the slightest chance to become law, but it will be fun to watch.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My husband got barbecue sauce on my mom’s favorite white tablecloth. For five whole minutes I wasn’t the biggest disappointment in her life."

 * ... MOST HATED MAN ON CAMPUS: Who is the most hated man in Bakersfield? If you are in the oil industry, it must be Arvin Mayor Jose Gurrola who joined with several other liberal mayors in demanding that California end oil and gas production. That's right, a mayor from one of the most productive oil and gas regions in the country goes to Sacramento to tell Gov. Jerry Brown that we need to shutter an industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs to people in Kern County. So is this political naivete or simply grand standing by a 20ish politician who should know better? Take your pick but you can bet he is in the political crosshairs of the very people he is trying to destroy.

 * ... CRIME: Want to know how bad crime has gotten around here? Then listen to the latest scam, which apparently has already send one young man to the hospital. It happened a few days ago at the Park at RiverWalk where a young women approached two college aged men late in the evening. The woman appeared distressed and needing help. When the men stopped to help, they were viciously attacked by two other masked men wielding baseball bats. One of the joggers was left seriously injured and the attackers made off with the cell phones of the victims. Apparently this scam is going on around town, and police are telling people to be wary of women "in distress." This has happened at least twice, once in at RiverWalk and a second time off the bike trail near Manor.

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers The Plunge off Union Avenue? Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy this photo.

The city of Arvin gets ready to approve the indoor cultivation of cannabis for the wholesale market, a pitfall is thrown out of a red truck and more generosity about town

 * ... ARVIN MAYOR: Keep an eye on Jose Gurrola, the young mayor of Arvin who has had the political courage to help broker a deal that will allow the legal cultivation of cannabis for the wholesale  

market. Gurrola is just 24, elected mayor last November after serving one term on the city council. While the city of Bakersfield and county have decided to turn their backs on any opportunities to regulate, and benefit, from legal cannabis, Arvin has chosen its own path. The city will outlaw the store-front sale of marijuana, but will allow indoor cultivation for the wholesale market. It's a shrewd compromise that could greatly benefit the taxpayers of Arvin, while giving the city more direct control over how the industry involves.

* ... BAD FORM: A frustrated and angry Nancy Vide shared this: "Driving up Auburn Street on the way home, about 8 p.m, I came upon what looked like an accident in the road. I parked my car at home and ran across the street. There were four young adults and three of my neighbors and in the traffic lane was a beautiful brown pit/lab mix. He was about one to two years old and severely injured and in shock. Everyone was trying to keep him calm. Long story short......an EVIL, VICIOUS, HEARTLESS person threw this beautiful dog out their red car/truck and then he was ran over by a white car. While I am not trying to blame the people in the white car, I wish they would please come forward to help find these criminals. And to anyone that has a neighbor with a red vehicle that does not now have a (barking) dog...... please say something! I want to thank my neighbors Kathleen Snow and Daniel for taking this poor creature to the emergency vet on Easton Drive. And the young adults that stayed to help comfort the dog. I only hope karma jumps in big time for the evil doer."

 * ... PHILANTHROPY: Bakersfield is known for its generosity, in both big and small deeds, but the Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation (previously known at The Bakersfield Californian Foundation) has few peers. The foundation recently announced the winners of its fall grant cycle and they included $100,000 grants to both the Tree Foundation of Kern and the Mercy Foundation-Bakersfield. The two $50,000 grant winners were Garden Pathways and Recyling Lives. There were three $25,000 winners: Downtown Bakersfield Development Corporation (reducing trash), Rebuilding Together Kern County (the Carnation neighborhood projects) and United Way of Kern County.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I have an awful lot of responsibilities for a guy who also has a sign on his door reminding him to zip his pants before he leaves."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "If everyone you admire keeps disappointing you with awful sex scandals, try admiring more women."

 * ... AMES WOODWORKS: The next time you are in Sequoia Sandwich Shop downtown, check out the new indoor seating area featuring some handsome wood benches. It turns out the benches were built by Sam Ames, a local wood craftsman who specializes in tables and chairs made from reclaimed vineyard stakes. Ames provided four benches for Sequoia, made of a more traditional hardwood than the reclaimed vineyard stakes he normally uses. Check out his website at www.ameswoodworks.com.

 * ... ROTARY: And finally, Bernie Barman wrote to recognize a group of 60 Rotary and Interact Club members who spent a recent Saturday cleaning up the San Miguel Grove area where the bike path meets Manor. "In addition to picking up trash they also planted 10 oak trees donated by the Rotary clubs (to supplement the 100 trees the Breakfast Rotary planted several years ago) and cleared lots of weeds. Breakfast Rotary organized the event and was joined by members of other Rotary clubs, including Twilight Rotary and West Rotary, as well as 37 high school students from the Interact clubs at Liberty, Stockdale, Centennial, Golden Valley and Foothill High Schools. City staff also participated by bringing in the trees and hauling away the weeds. The teamwork really paid off."