Is Bakersfield a destination home for millennials? Judi McCarthy pledges $400,000 to the Women's and Girl's Fund and we hear the story behind the parakeets in town

Friday, May 3, 2019

 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 tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... MILLENIAL LOVE: What kind of cities attract millennials? If you didn't guess Bakersfield, you would be wrong. That's right, Bakersfield recently made a top 10 list of destination cities for millennials. Published by the National Association of Realtors, Bakersfield

joined nine other metro areas that are attracting young job-seekers like never before. The reasons: a robust job market and the low cost of housing. Other factors: tons of live music and the history of the Bakersfield Sound, and terrific family run restaurants and Basque food.

 * ... KERN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: Hats off to Judi McCarthy who made a very generous donation to the Women's and Girl's Fund (part of the Kern Community Foundation) to improve the lives of young women in our community. McCarthy was one of the founders of the fund but has since moved to Austin, Texas, but her heart remains here and she returned for a luncheon at Seven Oaks to make a special announcement. McCarthy pledged $400,000 for a two-for-one matching grant for every dollar contributed to the Women's and Girl's Fund. That's right, a $400,000 pledge with the hope of bringing the fund to a balance north of $2 million.

 * ... PARAKEETS: Did you know Bakersfield is home to thousands of wild green parakeets? If you live downtown, this will come as no surprise. They are commonly spotted not only in the downtown and Westchester neighborhoods but in Oleander as well. It was good to see that Valley Public Radio sent a reporter to Bakersfield, who spotted the wild birds in Beale Park. Read the report here. An excerpt from the report: "To find out I met with someone who’s studied this population of birds for decades. Alison Sheehey is Master Naturalist who focuses on the Southern Sierra and Kern County. She says it all started with a weather event. 'In 1977 there was a huge windstorm that hit,” Sheehey says. “The winds were in excess of 100 miles an hour and it blew apart an aviary, the Happy Bird Aviary." Two breeding pairs of the birds escaped. “There were a lot of other birds that escaped, but it seemed like the Rose-ringed parakeets were the only ones that successfully started breeding,” Sheehey says. Almost 40 years later the birds are thriving in Bakersfield because of the similar temperature and precipitation to India where they’re from. Sheehey estimates there are 3,000 living under the protection of palm fronds at night. By day these birds roam the city hunting for nuts, stone fruit and flowers to eat. Sheehey doesn’t think these birds will leave the city limits even though they are agricultural pests in other counties.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Hey how come when Spider-Man shoots web from his hands, he's called a hero and when I shoot white stuff at someone, they call the cops. Is it because I'm brown?"

 * ... MORE SPOTTED: "Just saw a woman with a 'Dog Mom' bumper sticker. And while the kid in the back seat wasn’t great looking, I still thought it was kinda harsh."

 * ... ARNOLD: Remember a couple years ago when it was revealed that Arnold Schwarzenegger had an affair and his love-child son was living in Bakersfield? Well the boy is all grown up and recently graduated from Pepperdine University. Here is a photo of his son, Joseph, and Arnold on graduation day. Check out the resemblance.

 * ...MEMORIES: How about this old picture from "two bit" hill in the Taft oil fields?

Hysteria over hydraulic fracturing leads Germany to consider a moratorium on drilling, Judi McCarthy to receive the John Brock award and head to Goose Loonies for a special burger and gyro

 * … FRACKING: Environmentalists are hailing a proposal in Germany to ban the practice of hydraulic tracking, the oil and gas extraction method that has been practiced in Kern County for decades without incident. The proposal comes from Germany's environment minister, critics say if it becomes law it will put the country at the mercy of Russian president Vladimir Putin, who would then become the country's largest supplier of natural gas. Said the Wall Street Journal: "The proposed move comes in response to widespread green hysteria over claims that fracking poisons groundwater with methane gas. Yet as the U.S. has developed its fracking industry, it has become clear that most groundwater pollution is caused by faulty wells, regardless of drilling method. And even the Obama Administration's activist Environmental Protection Agency has downwardly revised its estimates of fracking-related methane emissions."

* … ROTARY: The Twilight Rotary Club has two projects that are worthy of community support. The first is the club's king drive to collect clothes for exploited and neglected children sent to the Jamison Center, and the second is a drive to install new benches at Pioneer Village. If you are interested in the clothes drive, contact the Jamison Center. To help with the benches, call Mike Foster at (661) 201-8774. Thanks to Barry Rosenfeld for keeping me updated on the Twilight club's projects.

 * … NACITA: Tom Schroeter wrote to add another name to successful local athletes playing college football. "Just to add to the county excitement over Brian Burrell and Cody Kessler leading two top national football programs, Silas Nacita (Driller 2012) scored a touchdown for the Baylor Bears last night in their win over SMU."

 * … FOODIE BEST BET: I stopped by Goose Loonies on 18th Street over the weekend and forgot just how good a restaurant it is. The gyro is always a best bet as is the Alejandro burger. Worth checking out.

* … JUDI'S NIGHT: Congratulations to Judi McCarthy who will be honored with the John Brock Award for Community Service this week. Judi is one of the founders of the Womens' and Girls' Fund of the Kern Community Foundation and is a tireless advocate for a number of worthy causes about town. Proceeds from the Thursday night event will benefit the John Brock Endowment Fund for the School of Business and Public Administration at CSUB. Judi and her husband Rob own Lightspeed Systems.

 * … PASSING THROUGH: There is a terrific Indie band passing through Bakersfield on Sunday, Sept. 14, that is worth checking out. It's Nora Jane Struthers and the Party Line, a Nashville-based quintet that was honored with a a blue ribbon at the prestigious 2010 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition (previous winners include Nickel Creek and The Dixie Chicks). Check out Passing Through Productions on Facebook to find a link to buy tickets, or pay $20 at the door. The event will be held at the Bakersfield Museum of Art.

Bakersfield family witnesses the tsunami roll through Hawaii

 Bakersfield residents Rob and Judi McCarthy had just arrived at their second home in Hawaii when the earthquake-trigger tsunami rolled through. The McCarthy beachfront home is located on Puako on the Kohala Coast. The neighborhood is located between Mauna Lani and Mauna Kea resorts. The home is fine but they were forced to evacuate and slept in their car. Judi, who is chair of the Kern Community Foundation, used Facebook to inform me that "all coastal areas in the state evacuated last night. Watching another tsunami surge right now. Trees floating by. Rob rescued a sea turtle that was sent into an inadvertent lagoon that previous surges created in a neighbor's yard." The family home appears dry though lawn furniture was swept to sea and the yard is littered with rocks and dead fish."

UC Santa Barbara sweethearts and the Women and Girl's Fund goes prospecting

  

* ... UCSB SWEETHEARTS: Loved the email I received from Helen Troudy, who wondered if she and husband Chester (named after Chester Avenue, but that's another story) were the oldest living local graduates of  UC Santa Barbara in Bakersfield. In her words: "I graduated in l947 and my husband graduated in l950 as a returning veteran of WWII. It is where we met and were married at the beginning of his sophomore year. At that time the campus was located on the Riviera above the Mission in SB, and the Industrial Arts Dept. (my husband's major) was located across town on the Mesa. This caused many trips back and forth to attend classes on both campuses. I was a student in Spring l945 when SB was chartered by UC, and we had a huge celebration, including a torch light parade in the pouring rain. I worked on the campus during the time my husband was a student, and it was at that time that negotiations were underway to acquire the Marine Base at Goleta for a new campus. We came to Bakersfield in l973 when my husband accepted the position of Superintendent of Panama School District replacing Wayne Van Horn. I wonder if we are the oldest alumni in Bakersfield? We are 84 and 87 and have been married for 62 years." Wow. Who can beat that?

 
 * ... GIRL'S FUND: I dropped by the "Prospect Lounge" at the Padre Hotel the other night to attend a meeting of the Women and Girl's Fund, a group that does an awful lot of  good for young women in our community. The fund was created  in 2005 by Judi McCarthy, the current chair of the Kern Community Foundation, and now boasts an endowment north of $400,000. Judi and Girls' Fund chair Mary Bynum were "prospecting" for more supporters and announced the fund will give away $20,000 this year, focusing on physical, sexual and domestic safety. Among those attending were Jane Haupt, former Bakersfield mayor Mary K. Shell, Laura Wolfe, Ray and Joan Dezember, Ken and Teri Jones, Jack and Mary Lou Thompson, Judith Chase and Ted Tilbury, Jeanette Richardson, Danielle Kilpatrick, Bettina Belter, Lori Mariani and daughter-in-law Tanya Mariani, Laurie Bustamante, John and Sheila Lake, local Realtor Mary Christenson, Lyndia Krausgrill and Sylvia Cattani, among others.

 * ... SKEET SCHOLARSHIP: Congratulations to Dominic Buoni, a17-year-old senior at Bakersfield Christian  High School, who just landed a scholarship to shoot skeet at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Dominic is the third Bakersfield youngster to head to Lindenwood to shoot skeet, joining All-American Brian Foley and Elizabeth Key, both Ridgeview High School graduates who are now Lindenwood freshman. The sheer number of high achieving youngsters in the shotgun sports from Bakersfield is impressive, and for some it's paying the cost of college. Dominic is the son of Frank and Lori Buoni and he has three shooting siblings, Darin, Joshua and little sister Jenna.

 * ... HOME EXPO: If you are thinking about buying or selling your home, you should attending the Home Buyer and Seller Expo Saturday at the downtown Bakersfield Marriott. There will be 40-plus vendors there, including folks from Castle and Cooke, Towery Homes, Michael Flooring, Coldwell Bank Preferred Realtors, Prudential Tobias Realtors and so many more. And one of the best things: it is absolutely free. The expo will run from 1 p.m. t 4 p.m.. Make sure to check it out.

 * ...  BAKERSFIELDISMS: You know you're from Bakersfield when "You know what an '08er' is and where the 'Dale is."

BakersfieldLife magazine features 11 inspiring women from Kern County

 Make sure to check out this weekend's BakersfieldLife magazine, which will feature some of the amazing women role models in our community. Among those being featured are former mayor Mary K. Shell (that's her on the cover), Sheryl Barbich, Judi McCarthy, Barbara Smith, Sheryl Chalupa, Diane Hopkins, Cathy Abernathy, Mikie Hay, Rosa Corona, Mary Christenson and Ginger Moorhouse. The magazine comes out Saturday inside the home-delivered Californian.

 

New CEO named for Kern Community Foundation

 The search for a new president and CEO of the Kern Community Foundation has ended with the selection of Jeffrey R. Pickering, a Florida native with long foundation experience. The KCF role was one of the most sought after in town, attracting a wide and deep range of candidates both locally and out of state. Judi McCarthy, acting CEO since Fred Drew left last October after less than a year on the job, led the search with the help of a professional head hunting firm. Pickering is a graduate of University of South Florida and holds a masters degree from the University of San Diego. From 2004-2008, he served as vice president for philanthropic services at the Community Foundation of Central Florida in Orlando. Pickering was raised in Winter Park, Fla. and has two children.Welcome him to the community.

Buckeye fans in Bakersfield, the Kern Community Foundation search nears an end and music at the museum

 * ... FOUNDATION SEARCH: I'm told the search for a new director of the Kern Community Foundation is entering its final stretch. Apparently finalists for the job were interviewed last week by the Foundation Board and chairman  Judi McCarthy. We could know something as early as later this month on who will succeed Fred Drew, who left several months ago when things didn't work out. Meanwhile, the Foundation said it passed a "philanthropic milestone" on Dec. 31 when giving topped $6 million. Last year, the Foundation awarded $999,123 in grants, not bad for a group that was established in 1999.

 * ... MORE BAKO BUCKEYES: I goofed last week in noting that Dianne Hoover is among the growing list of local Ohio State Buckeye fans. She is a Buckeye fan, but I identified her as head of the "county" recreation and parks department when it should have been the City of Bakersfield. Mea cupla. Meanwhile, local resident Kelly Traut shot me an email saying she and her husband Tom are huge fans of Ohio State, having moved here from Perrysburg, Ohio, in 1991. Both graduated from the University of Toledo and moving west has allowed them to attend several Rose Bowl games.

 "To echo Dianne Hoover's comments, we always have Buckeye candy in our house, especially during football season and over the holidays. The candy really does look like the nut of the tree. My uncle had several Buckeye trees in his yard and he gave me one of the nuts 'for luck' the day I graduated from high school. I still carry it with me every day." Lastly, while both have relatives back in Ohio, she said "we do not regret living here. California, and Bako in particular, have both been good to us."

 * .. BUCKEYES AT THE FIRE HOUSE: I also heard from city of Bakersfield firefighter Patrick Caprioli who told me of no fewer than five Ohio transplants who are either retired or active city firefighters. He identified the two retirees as Capts. Jim Lucas and John Nagle and the three current ex Ohioans as Jim Adams, Noe Reyna and Caprioli himself.

 "Every year we adorn our Christmas trees with California palm trees and Ohio State Buckeye ornaments. Loyalties run deep. As a child I grew up thinking that everyone was a Buckeye fan, the season game against Michigan was a state holiday, that Archie Griffin was the greatest running back of all time and that one day Woody Hayes would earn saint hood. As an adult I know better ... the Michigan game should be a state holiday, Archie Griffin and his teammates earned the Heisman Trophy twice and Jim Tressel should receive sainthood. Go Bucks!"

 * ... MUSIC AT THE MUSEUM: Let's face it: 2009 was a miserable year by almost any standard, and we're all hoping this one will be much better. Why not start this year by doing something positive, like enjoying some fabulous music, wine and hors d'oeuvres this week at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, all to support the Henrietta Weill Child Guidance Center. On Friday, New York pianist Louis Landon will perform (his range is from classical to jazz) starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $75 in advance and $80 at the door, with hors d'oeuvres by Cafe Med. You also get to view the museum's "From Hobos to Street People" exhibit which is simply tremendous. Call 661-322-0121 for tickets.

The Padre makes a comeback, more kids coming home and the Foundation launches a CEO search

  

* ... THE MAGNIFICENT PADRE: For those of us who work downtown, bringing the old Padre Hotel back to its glory days has always been a dream. Old timers recall a time when the Padre was the belle of the ball, a magnificent and elegant venue that was virtually unrivaled in our community. Now that it is being renovated, we're all hoping for a return to the glory days. The other day I got a peek inside as workers were finishing up the lobby. It is stunning. The walls are a deep crimson with hints of maroon, silver-tinned high ceilings, rich dark wood with a long bar at the back. The developers and new head of catering Steve Uricchio promise the Padre will have a grand opening at the end of the year. It looks like it will be worth waiting for.

 * ... COMING HOME AND GIVING THANKS: Some more names came my way of local kids who went off to school and eventually decided to call Bakersfield home.  Dr. Mark Schamblin graduated from Highland High School and went on to Pepperdine, St. Louis University and UC Irvine and is now a sports medicine orthopedist with Southern California Orthopedic Institute. Also graduating from Highland was Dr. Jill Schamblin Petrini, a Cal State Fresno bulldog who is now a speech pathologist at Laurelglen Elementary. And finally there is Dr. James Cusator, yet another Highland grad, who went on to Temple University in Pennsylvania and is now a radiologist with Quest Imaging. My thanks to local resident Jean Schamblin for passing along this information.

 * ... FOUNDATION SEARCH: It looks like the Kern Community Foundation hopes to have a new CEO identified in early January. At least that's the word from Judi McCarthy, acting CEO and a founding organizer. McCarthy has been playing that role (all unpaid as a volunteer)  since things didn't work out with former CEO Fred Drew. Nobody is talking  about the circumstances under which Drew left the job. The Foundation Board has now "reopened the search" and is working with a professional search firm with a specialty in community foundations. I am told the candidates include people who live both here and outside the community but there is no "inside" preferred candidate. This is an important job for a Foundation that is playing an increasingly important role in our community. In the last 10 years, it has handed out $5.5 million in grants. If an offer is made in January, the new CEO will be coming on board in February depending on if there is a move involved. More on this as it develops.

 * ... OLIVIA GARCIA RECOGNIZED: I couldn't be prouder of my colleague Olivia Garcia, the Californian's vice president of content, who has been honored as one of the "Luminarias of HOPE" for 2010. The Luminarias are women that represent the spirit of Latina leadership in their communities by guiding positive change toward parity for all. They will be honored at HOPE's 20th Anniversary Dinner along with Spirit of Hope Honoree U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios and Ray of HOPE Honoree Alliance for a Better Community. In addition to Olivia, the Luminarias are: Nellie Andrade, Past President of MANA de San Diego, Teresa Alvarado, Co-Founder of Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, and Ofelia Valdez-Yeager, Co-Chair of Latina Women's Forum of Riverside County. Olivia is married to Julio Garcia, a sheriff's deputy, and they have four boys: Diego, Mateo, Joaquin and Cruz.

Short takes around town: Another financial institution on the ropes and Fred Drew is out at the Kern Community Foundation

  

* ... AND THE DOMINOES BEGIN TO FALL: The news that Kern Schools Federal Credit Union is on the ropes is further evidence of the depth of this recession. The credit union has lost over $54 million since the beginning of last year, a figure that makes the losses at the now shuttered San Joaquin Bank look absolutely paltry. And now we learn the credit union, like the bank, has been put on notice that it must dramatically increase its liquidity or face the consequences. Unlike commercial banks like San Joaquin, which got into trouble on soured development loans, the credit union issues are more consumer based - bad auto loans, delinquent personal loans and the like - and reflect the depths of the recession in Kern County, where our jobless rate is hovering around 14 percent. Another just stunning aspect of all this is the fact that at least one Kern Schools board member, Jim Fillbrandt, told The Californian he was unaware of the demands and written agreement with the National Credit Union Administration until Monday when outgoing CEO Vince Rojas mentioned  it. How and why the board would be left in the dark (if indeed it was) are questions that need to be answered. Looks like Rojas got out just at the right time, handing over the reins to Steve Renock, who previously worked at a credit union in Orange County. Here's hoping Renock is well versed in crisis management, because that's the job he's inherited.

 * .... DREW OUT AT FOUNDATION: I learned today that Fred Drew is out as CEO of the Kern Community Foundation. Drew has only been on the job since January. The press release from the Foundation was short and to the point and offered no explanation. But obviously things didn't work out between Drew and the Foundation Board of Directors. Judi McCarthy, the Foundation board chair, issued a press release saying only that Drew and the Board of Directors reached "mutual agreement" that he would leave effective October 31. In the meantime, retired CEO Noel Daniells "has been engaged by the Board to offer continued guidance and assistance" and McCarthy will serve as acting executive until a new CEO is in place. An appreciation dinner was just held for Noel last month at Stockdale Country Club. Looks like he'll stick around longer to help in the transition.

 * ... INDUSTRIAL REAL ESTATE REBOUND?: We all know about the funk that residential real estate is in, but what about the commercial and industrial side? I follow the blog of Wayne Kress, a principal over at CB Richard Ellis Bakersfield,  and learned that things are indeed slow but may be showing signs of a rebound. (check out his posting here). Kress said we have recovered a bit from the "lowly performance" of the first and second quarters. Some of the numbers and percentages here are staggering. From his blog:

 "Sales volume is down 30% over 2008 and a whopping 91% over 2007.  Average prices have actually increased over each of the last two years (+11% in 2008 and +7% in 2009), but this is a little deceiving, as the average building size has also declined in each of those years (by 43% in 2008 and by another 53% in 2009).  There is generally an inverse relationship between unit pricing and size:  the smaller the building, the higher the unit price.  This holds here."

* ... HOT SHOT WINS THE WORLD: Kudos to Bakersfield's Brian Foley, the college freshman who just won the World Championships in skeet shooting. Brian did it by not missing a single target in the 410 bore competition at the World Skeet Shooting Championships in San Antonio, Texas, and then beating perhaps the world's best shooter,  Todd Bender of Atlanta, in a shootoff. Brian graduated from Ridgeview High and is a freshman at Lindenwood University, a private college of about 13,000 students in St. Charles, Mo. He's the son of Tim and Kim Foley of Bakersfield.

The outrage (or lack thereof) over 'Smartmeters' and a new book looks at the life of Cesar Chavez

* ... WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE? Is there a bigger mess than the new 'Smartmeters" and the arrogance Pacific Gas and Electric is showing in dealing with the public? It seems that each day brings a new story of someone's utility bill doubling or even tripling and all we hear from the utility's "customer engagement"  managers is the same old drivel: it's not our fault, it's the rates. It's like they are just tolerating us and waiting for everyone to simply fade away. Everyone has a story. We have friends in Westchester whose monthly bill just topped $1,000, a huge increase. There are people in 700 square foot apartments with bills of $500. (If you didn't read Lois Henry's take on this, check it out here.) Kudos to state Sen. Dean Florez for at least taking the lead in questioning this mess, but I am surprised by the lack of organized outrage. Here's my take: if this is really due to new rates, then roll them back or change the tier structure to stop this "legal rape" of the customer. It's outrageous that in this economy, when so many people are suffering, that the rate payer is expected to absorb these new costs. 

* ... CESAR CHAVEZ: THE REAL STORY?: A colleague from Los Angeles tipped me to a new book on Cesar Chavez and the now famous (or infamous) formation of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. Titled "The Union of Their Dreams" and written by former LA Times editor Miriam Pawel, I'm told the book is both a sympathetic and scathing profile of the UFW and shines a new light on the internal power struggles that ultimately almost destroyed the movement. Apparently - according to my correspondent - some UFW supporters are so upset they plan to boycott Pawel's appearances to promote the book. Given Kern County's central role in the grape boycott and Chavez's life, Bakersfield is a natural book tour stop. Pawel is planning on at least one appearance here, at Russo's Books at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. Check out the book at its website here. One reviewer said the book "recounts for the first time how a cult of personality around Cesar Chavez (influenced by the practices of the sinister Synanon organization) ultimately betrayed the courage of the workers in the fields and the trust of a veteran organizing staff." The "Union of Their Dreams" is definitely on my reading list.

 * ... STEADY AS SHE GOES: I see from the latest "Crabtree Report" that the local housing market seems to have stabilized. The report says we've entered the off-peak "winter market" when prices typically decline by three to five percent. In September, local prices declined 2.3 percent which Gary Crabtree describes as "no great surprise." I suppose this is good new and it's certainly better than what we have seen in the past. Crabtree went on to say that the "supply versus demand continues to indicate stable market conditions with unsold inventory of two months."

* ... IRVINE LEADERSHIP AWARDS: Heard from Judi McCarthy, chair of the Kern Community Foundation, that she's encouraging folks to nominate some local deserving soul for the James Irvine Foundation’s Leadership Awards.  Nominations are due October 13, so the pressure is on, but each prize is $125,000:  $100,000 for that person’s organization and $25,000 for that awardee.  From Irvine’s website, the awards “support the work of individuals who are advancing innovative and effective solutions to significant state issues. We anticipate making four to six awards in 2010, the program’s fifth year. Nominees may be working in any field — such as education, health, housing, economic development or the environment — in the public, private or nonprofit sector.”  The link is http://www.irvine.org/leadership/leadership-awards

     Judi also says  the Women's and Girls' Fund of Kern County is accepting letters of inten to apply for grants in the area of "Physical, Sexual and Domestic Safety." Founders of the fund selected this focus based on research showing domestic violence as a key issue in Kern County. The letters of intent are due November 20. For more information about the process go to www.kernfoundation.org or you can call 661-325-5346.

The state of Kern County woman: new report paints a bleak picture. Dealing with domestic violence, low pay and low expectations

The Kern Community Foundation released an important new study today, looking at the "Status of Women and Girls" in Kern County. This is important stuff and - to my knowledge - it may be the first of its kind in our community. I admit to some bias here. First, the Foundation chairperson and brainchild behind the report is Judi McCarthy (picture below with CSUB president Horace Mitchell) who happens to be my neighbor, but beyond that is one of our community's under appreciated doers. She is the founder of the Women and Girls Fund, which is now under the Foundation umbrella and whose sole purpose is to lift up the fortunes of our women and girls. Second, I have two daughters of my own and as my wife wisely counsels: "The quickest way to make a man a feminist is to give him a daughter." So the success of women in general and opportunities afforded them are near and dear to my heart.



The full report can be read here, but warning: it's not for the faint of heart. As the report said, the most pressing issues faced by women and girls in Kern County are "domestic violence, substance abuse and self esteem." And it goes without saying that incidences of domestic violence run higher than the state average as a while. Consider some of these dismal findings:

* ... Thirty-three percent of Kern County women could not afford enough food to sustain their families in 2007.
* ... In 2006, the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter reported that 66 percent of those who received services were women.
* ... For the second quarter of 2008, Kern County women made 60 cents for every dollar earned by Kern men. The greatest income disparity by gender was among doctors, dentists and diagnosticians.
* ... Only 13 percent of new mothers received any cash aid assistance in 2005.
* ... In 2007 more than 25 percent of Kern County women over age 25 did not have a high school diploma, and only 12 percent of our women had a college degree.
* ... Forty-eight percent of Kern women were either overweight or obese.
* ... A higher proportion of women statewide are methamphetamine users compared to men. Meth is the most common drug for women users in California.
* ... Kern County has the fourth highest teen pregnancy rate in California.
* ... The top issues facing Kern County women were domestic violence, substance abuse, low self esteem, education, lack of mentors, poverty, transportation, resources, teen pregnancy and lack of role models.







So let's see: our women and girls are abused, overweight, under educated, prone to drug use, likely to be paid less than men and less likely to receive public assistance. Seems like we have some work to do. Hats off to Judi McCarthy and Foundation, in partnership with Cal State Bakersfield, for getting this data out of the public.

(In photo with Judi are report authors Janet Armentor-Cota and Monique Ferranto-Joyner)

Short shots around town: a weekend of jazz and wine, kids heading off to college, the arts

Another day of cleaning out my cupboard of odds and ends. I continue to hear of more kids heading off to school (or staying here) and they all make us proud. It's May in Bako, so that means good weather and jazz and fine wine. Enjoy the weekend.
* WINE FEST: Don't forget the Party in the Park wine tasting tomorrow night (Friday) over at Cal State, hosted by the CSUB Alumni Association. This is always a fun event and kicks off the Jazz Festival weekend, which is one of the school's premier events each year. Check out today's Californian for a full lineup for the Jazz Festival. For last minute tickets to the wine tasting, call 661-654-3211.
* VISUAL ARTS FESTIVAL: The Bakersfield Museum of Art presents its annual "Visual Arts Festival" next Thursday, May 14. Curator Emily Falke say the festival is expected to draw hundreds of artists from around California who have submitted works for the juried competition. The exhibit opens with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and awards at 6:45 p.m. The opening is free to members, $10 for non-members. Light appetizers and a no-host bar will be available. The exhibit runs through August 30. For more information call 661-323-7219.

* YOUNG ARTIST: Speaking of art, check out the painting by Stockdale High senior Stephanie Linn (above) who won a young artists contest sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield). As the overall winner of the art competition, Stephanie’s piece will represent the 22nd Congressional District in Washington DC, and hang in the capitol tunnel leading to the United States Capitol for a year. Stephanie and two guests will be provided airline tickets courtesy of Southwest Airlines to travel to Washington for the exhibit opening on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Stephanie is the daughter of Victor and Connie Linn and her art teacher is Art Sherwyn at Stockdale. She said her piece was influenced by the work of Paul Cadmus, specifically his oil painting, Coney Island. Stephanie went to River Walk Park and studied and photographed children playing on a jungle gym. She then compiled all the different photographs into one piece that includes 25 children.
* DOGS GONE WILD: While we are on the arts, Beth Pandol over at the Bakersfield Museum of Art told me their first "Doggone Morning" this week was a success. (See pictures below.) Folks brought their dogs for talks on obedience, breeds and other topics. Let's hope this continues and evolves into something bigger.


* GUNS AND ABORTION: Interesting recent survey by the Pew Center shows attitudes toward gun ownership are becoming more conservative, as in defending Second Amendment rights. (Check it out here)
* NON-PROFIT MOVEMENT: Meanwhile I hear that Jan Lemucchi has been hired as the new communication specialist over at the Kern Community Foundation, working for CEO Fred Drew and foundation chair Judi McCarthy. Jan has been around and previously worked at KGET TV, Mercy Hospital, the Bakersfield Assn. of Retarded Citizens, the Saba Agency and The Californian.
* AND OFF THEY GO: Rounded up a few more names of kids heading off to colleges, some going far and others staying closer to home. These are all Stockdale kids:
..... EAST COAST BOUND: Michele Keathley heads to Fordham University in New York on a volleyball scholarship. She's the daughter of Corey and Duane Keathley. Her sister Kim is attending Point Loma University in San Diego.
..... STAYING CLOSE: Julie Hutton, one of the stalwarts of the defending Central Section girls tennis team at Stockdale, will attend CSUB on a tennis scholarship.
.... DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS: K.C. Hobson has signed with Texas A&M to play baseball even though he likely will be a high draft pick to play pro ball. Stay tuned for more on his future.
..... GO RENEGADES: Brooke Williford, daughter of Tara and Steve Williford, will be attending Bakersfield College in the fall.

Lunch with the First Lady, home invasions, the new Ford and dogs at the museum

A few short takes around town, starting with a few locals having lunch today with First Lady Michelle Obama.
* FIRST LADY LUNCH: The annual First Lady's Luncheon will be held today at the Washington Hilton and four McCarthys from Bakersfield will be there. The wife of Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Judy, and daughter Meghan will be there, along with their guests Judi McCarthy and daughter Katie. Though not related the connections here are deep, so bear with me: the second Judi McCarthy is the chair of the Kern Community Foundation and founder of the Women and Girl's Fund, which I wrote about yesterday. Just so happens her son, USC grad Rob, works for the congressman in D.C. Daughter Katie is a grad of Loyola Marymount and works as a magazine editor in Los Angeles.
* HOME INVASIONS: Not sure about you, but the piece in today's Californian about home invasion robberies doesn't exactly make me feel any better. The story says most are not totally random, and that there always is some kind of connection - like a kid down the street who grew up to be a thug or someone who worked on your car or a former contractor. I'm not sure how this is supposed to calm any fears unless you have gone through life in total solitude. And it won't stop folks from arming themselves to the teeth to protect their castle. So the next time someone barges into your house and puts a 9mm Glock to your wife's head, think: "I should know this guy!:
* INCREDIBLE GAS MILEAGE: I wrote earlier (see post here) about a team from Ford setting out to get 1,000 miles out of a single tank of gas with the new Ford Fusion hybrid. Well, sales manager Chad Manning over at Jim Burke Ford tells me they did it. Actually, the team managed to get 1,445 miles (or 81 miles per gallon) out of the Fusion hybrid. This is one of Ford's hottest new models and every time they get one over at Burke Ford, it doesn't last.

* DOGS GONE WILD: I heard from Beth Pandol over at the Bakerfield Museum of Art that the museum is holding a "Doggone Morning" next Wednesday May 6. Folks can bring their dogs over for classes on training, obedience, behavior and breed characteristics. Wouldn't it be terrific if this led to some kind of "Big Dog" parade like they have in Santa Barbara every year? The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Contact David Gordon at 661-323-7219 for details.

How one local non-profit negotiates a tough economy, and succeeds in spite of it

The Women and Girl's Fund is a relatively young local charity devoted to providing a helping hand to needy young women in our community. It was the brain child of Judi McCarthy, and she has single-handedly taken it from nowhere to a fund with assets of more than $300,000. To understand Judi you have to understand she is the daughter of a Marine and has the drive and discipline to show for it. So how is the fund faring during this tumultuous time? Judi tells me the fund reached a high of $385,000 briefly and then - like everything else - took a huge hit in the market collapse. She explained the year it has been:

"We approached our founders (donors of $1,000 or more) with the prospect of reduced grant making in 2009, and they donated enough to the grant making pot to keep our grant impact even ($20,000).... In addition they added to the endowment."

Judi laid the success of the fund at the feet of her "great supporters," but no doubt it is also a testament to her own drive. Judi has moved on to become chairman of the Board at the Kern Community Foundation (where the WGF funds reside) and Mary Bynum is now running the WGF. New grants will be annnounced at an April 29 luncheon and in the meantime, the group will honor three artists at a March 19 event at Ice House Framing and Gallery.

Our kids: keeping up with where they are now

Nothing makes me feel better than to see our Bakersfield kids - from North and Stockdale and West and BHS and all the rest - succeeding and thriving. These are the same kids who gave us headaches and heartbreak in their teen years but now make our hearts swell with pride. Was sorry I missed the quick visit this past week of Robby McCarthy, son of Rob and Judi McCarthy. (Rob owns Lightspeed Systems and Judi is founder of the Women's and Girls' Fund of Kern County). Robby (pictured) now works in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Kevin McCarthy (no relation) and is having a ball. He was in the district helping with the annual Lincoln Day dinner and "working the district" to hear complaints and concerns from constituents. Robby graduated from Garces High School and later USC. He brought along a congressional intern named Freddy Barnes, son of Fred Barnes, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard and a regular on the Fox News network.
I also had lunch last week with Ray Dezember, the retired banker affectionately known as "Mr. Bakersfield" in recognition of his involvement in the community. Ray and wife Joan just returned from a long trip overseas that included a visit to Taipei where grand-daughter Suzy Dezember is now teaching English. One of Brent and Anna Dezember's girls, Suzy also graduated from Garces and later LMU. Ray was proud to say that Michelle, Suzy's sister and a graduate of Santa Clara, is working and living in Barcelona. Meanwhile, I hear Erica Smith (BHS and University of Arizona) is now in grad school at USC, which makes her father, retired endodontist and Trojan Bob Smith, happy. And finally, Leonard Bidart, owner of Bidart Brothers Farms, tells me his elder daughter Breanna (BHS and USC) is now living and working in Boston. So much talent and so much to be proud of.