Studies show even extreme athletes may live no longer than weekend warriors, Lauren Skidmore steps up to take over the homeless shelter, the Basque Club boycotts the Kern County Fair and the collective shame of our stray dog crisis

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.

 * ... EXERCISE:  Here's some good news, particularly you weekend warriors out there who try to squeeze seven days of exercise into a weekend. It turns out a number of studies show that there is a limit to how much exercise benefits you. In other words, just because you exercise like a demon seven

days a week doesn't mean you will live longer than someone who does much less. First some background: a study from the Centers for Disease Control shows that about 10 percent of all deaths among Americans between the ages of 40 and 70 ae a result of too little exercise. But scientists still don't know what much we need to evercise to actually live longer This month, a study published in the JAMA Network Open indicates that taking 7,000 steps a day seems to be the optimum, with long term benefits leveling off at 10,000 steps. So take 20,000 steps a day if you like, but don't expect to live any longer.

 * ... LAUREN SKIDMORE: The move by the Bakersfield Homeless Center to hire Lauren Skidmore as its new chief executive officer seems to be a stroke of genius. Replacing outgoing CEO Louis Gill was always going to be hard, but the choice of Skidmore is about as good as it gets. Skidmore has spent  five years as district director for Assemblyman Vince Fong, and before that she spend time as director of the Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government. She also serves on the Bakersfield College Foundation board and the Kern County Planning Committee. In addition to running the homeless shelter, Skidmore will serve as CEO of the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault.

 * .. SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "It’s that time of year where girls wrap entire table cloths around their neck and call them scarves."

 * ... BASQUE CLUB: The Kern County Fair opens this week and let's hope it gets over its rocky start. For the first time since anyone can remember, the Fair will go on without one of its all-time culinary favorites: the Basque Club food shack. The club decided to forgo the Fair because of fears of the coronavirus, a wise choice.

* ... STRAY DOG CRISIS: Here is a some good news if you ever lose your dog: on average, experts say lost dogs are within six to seven houses of their own while missing. That's right, your lost dog may literally be around the corner or in someone else's home. That was among the nuggets of wisdom I received when Julie Johnson appeared on the Bakersfield Observed Podcast with her observations on the stray dog and cat crisis. Despite the recent "Empty the Shelter" drive,  Johnson said the SPCA and the city Animal Care Center  (Johnson serves as executive director of both) are near capacity, and things are not expected to get better soon. The problem: too many people in Kern County treat their pets as disposable items, so called puppy mills proliferate and a good number of people simply refuse to spay or neuter their pets. (file photo of Julie Johnson at the shelter)

 * ... MEMORIES: This first picture is of the old ice house on Chester just north of the Garces Circle. I am not sure of the date but this gives you an idea of what the place looked like back in the day. And for all you who spend time in Carpenteria, enjoy the second old shot from the beach city in a quieter time.

Hart Park and the park at the Panorama Bluffs are set for improvements, the city is overrun with stray cats and dogs and Tina Marie's to open downtown in the old Chef's Noodle Bar

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.

 * ... GREENBELT IMPROVEMENTS: Hart Park and the green belt along the Panorama Bluffs are in for major improvements over the next few months. That's the word from county Chief Administrative

Officer Ryan Alsop who said the Hart Park "master plan" called for new signage at both ends of the park, refurbishing an old adobe building for new use and improvements to the trail head parking area near the old Sheriff's pistol range. (historic photos courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page)

 * ... DOGS AND CATS: Do you remember a few years ago when there was a big stink about the enormous number of dogs and cats that were being euthanized at our local shelters? Well things are better, I am happy to report, not perfect, but certainly better. Julie Johnson, who wears two hats as director of both the local SPCA and city of Bakersfield Animal Care services, said it wasn't long ago that 80 percent of the dogs brought to local shelters were being euthanized. "Now we are saving 80 percent," she told me. The reason: more awareness about the benefits of spay and neutering and the emergence of the non-profit Critters Without Litters in 2013. Still, the situation here in Kern County is critical, she said, and there is a particular problem with pit bull and pit mixes, which currently comprise half of all dogs at the city shelter.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Had a dude smoking a cigarette next to his oxygen tank tell me I look stupid in my mask."

 * ... OLD HANGTOWN: The city of Placerville, known as "Old Hangtown" in remembrance of the number of hangings during the Gold Rush, has removed the image of a noose from its logo. The logo shows a miner washing gold in a stream. The noose hangs from a tree in the background. The noose was removed when some residents argued it gave the city a bad reputation.

 * ... ADIOS EMA: Ema Sasic, a features reporter at The Bakersfield Californian, is leaving the paper to join USA Today in Palm Springs. Sasic announced the move on Twitter saying this: "After almost three years at  @Bakersfieldcali,  I’m moving on to a new California adventure. I’ll be joining the 

@MyDesert @USATODAY. Network in Palm Springs as a health reporter! Apparently it’s not hot enough in Bakersfield for me so now I’m headed for the desert!"

 * ... TINA MARIE'S: The restaurant Tina Marie's, which suffered a devastating fire a few months ago, will be setting up shop in the location of Chef's Choice Noodle Bar which is moving to the Southwest. Tina Marie Brown said she was thrilled to remain downtown and reiterated that she plans to rebuild in the original location. 

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this picture of a building along Chester that once housed the JC Penny's store. Look familiar? Thanks to the group Kern County History Fans for this gem.

The public is at a boiling point over the crime, lawlessness and drug use that has become the norm on our streets, a huge fire adds to our already filthy air, some good news art the animal shelter and a walk down memory lane with the old Plunge on Union Avenue

Monday, August 19, 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 community such a special place. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... BOILING POINT: When government fails the people, and the people lose hope in the institutions that are there to protect them, some will choose to take matters into their own hands. And that is exactly what a lot of people are considering as they watch our city devolve into a cesspool

of addiction, crime and homelessness. People are talking amongst themselves, quietly frustrated that our city leaders and police seem incapable of doing anything but watch the situation get worse. The city council seems to be suffering from paralysis, the police have been stripped of their authority to do their jobs, the Downtown Business Association is a joke, and business owners and homeowners are left to fend for themselves. This is an old story we have seen countless times across the world; when institutions fail, people step into the vacuum to protect themselves, however they deem appropriate. This is a quiet movement now, but at some point it will manifest itself in perhaps a violent or aggressive way, and those who cling to their jobs on the City Council or Board of Supervisors will be held accountable. One well connected local business person told me she was frustrated with the way the city is approaching the new revenue from Measure N, shocked that improving a soccer park is on the list of the city's projects when we are inundated with crime and drug addition. "Yeah, they're like a bunch of kids with this found money. Pet projects, fluff, their first job is the public's safety. They're failing miserably. The downtown public is at a boiling point." That boiling point is near.

 * ... FIRE: Did you catch that nasty fire off Manor Drive and North Chester on Saturday? Apparently a welding torch triggered a grass fire that ended up burning a dozen or so vehicles. It was a bad addition to the already bad air we have every August.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I don’t like to talk about my issues because the last time I told a guy that I felt empty inside, he got me pregnant. "

 * ... CLEAR THE SHELTER: Cheers to Julie Johnson and the folks at the Bakersfield Animal Care Shelter for a successful "clear the shelter" day this weekend. More than 100 dogs and cats were adopted in the first two hours, clearing the shelter and making room for more animals.

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers visiting The Plunge on a hot Bakersfield afternoon? Thanks to the Facebook page Kern County of Old for these memories.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And who remembers the Monkey Den on Baker Street across from the Arizona Cafe? This picture after the 1952 earthquake.