Gunfire breaks out at The Lone Oak Lounge, fire guts a storage unit used by the Bakersfield Homeless Center and Zane Adamo learns that Texans have a special place in their hearts for Bakersfield

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. 

 * ... THE ADAMO BOYS: Everyone knows that Texans are sick of Californians moving to their state, but they just might welcome you with open arms if you hail from Bakersfield. That's what local boy Zane Adamo learned recently when he was in Austin and found himself chatting with Texas country troubadour Dale Watson. When Watson learned Zane was not only from California but from Bakersfield he told Zane

: "We have enough Californians in Texas, but we don't have enough  Bakersfieldians though." Zane and his brother Cooper are carrying on the long and proud Bakersfield tradition of playing homage to country music, and they are part of a Western swing band called "The Soda Crackers" that is now on tour. The Adamo lads are the sons of retired Californian photographer Felix Adamo and his wife Teresa, an accomplished local author.

 * ... LOST TOYS: Did you hear about the fire that gutted a building storing thousands of toys belonging to the Bakersfield Homeless Center? The Monday afternoon fire engulfed a storage unit the homeless center uses to store its stockpile of toys for the many homeless boys and girls who pass though its doors. BHC CEO Lauren Skidmore said more than 2,000 toys were lost, and the center is looking for donations to help restock the center. Skidmore said toys and gifts for chidren up to 18 years of age are needed. The generosity of this community is well documented, and I think its response to this tragedy will be overwhelming. Sit back and watch how Bakersfield responds to this need.

 * ... ELAINA RUSK: Last week we reported that longtime KERO meteorologist Elaina Rusk was leaving the station to spend more time at home with her children. Well that was then, because Rusk has done an about face and announced she will be joining KGET in a special midday role that will allow her to return to work and spend more time at home. "You will now find me producing and anchoring 17 News at Noon, allowing me to work during my daughters’ school schedules," she wrote on Facebook. "This is the most incredible opportunity! It’s a throwback to my early years as a journalist, and it’s a thrill to be back at the anchor desk... Occasionally I’ll get to do some weather forecasting too!"  (photo by KGET)

 * ... LONE OAK SHOOTING: Bakersfield police are still looking at whoever was responsible for wounding four people when they opened fire at The Lone Oak Inn Lounge on Rosedale Highway last weekend. Videos posted on social media show a chaotic scene of what first appears to be a scuffle of some sorts followed by the familiar "pop, pop, pop" of gunfire. The Lone Oak enjoys a loyal following and is normally a typical local watering hole not used to violence. But this is 2022, crime is rampant, prosecutors have backed off from seeking strong sentences, and this is what we are left with. Be careful out there.

 * ... NETFLIX: Netflix has announced it is raising prices once again, the monthly subscription fee jumping to $15.49. The move comes as the streaming giant is facing competition from new streaming services also offering original content, from Paramount to Hulu to Apple+ to Amazon Prime.

 * ... CALM: There is some good news out at the California Living Museum where they announced plans for a new veterinary clinic to help rehabilitate animals brought in for care. A new 1,700 square foot facility is being built thanks to funding from a $350,000 grant from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Organizers say they need another $300,000 which they hope to raise locally. The facility will include a new surgery site where experts can attend to the more than 600 animals a year that find their way to the facility.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "When I got divorced, the ex wife and I split the house. I got the outside."

 * ... MEMORIES: From the Kern County of Old Facebook page comes this reader submitted photo of Buck Owens, John Brock and others around a Salvation Army giving bell at Christmas. The caption reads: "The BUCK stops here. . .Buck Owens that is! The Bakersfield Country Western singer is a Rotary Club Bell Ringer in 1975 with the Salvation Army. Update: mystery solved from left to right. James Sweeney, Salvation Army Major David Baker, Buck, John Brock, & Gerald Brock."

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.

CSUB opening huge vaccination hub, criminals target catalytic converters and pickup truck tailgates, and Labradors and French bulldogs top the list of favorite dog breeds

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.

 * ... CSUB VACCINES: Cal State University Bakersfield is about to open a mass vaccination on campus that will be able to inoculate 5,400 people a day. Hoping to stay open until all Kern County residents are vaccinated, the health hub is part of a consortium with Adventist Health, Dignity Health Hospitals, the

California Medical Association, the California Primary Care Association and Futuro Health. The American Red Cross is providing its expertise on mass site planning. Though the site can administer 5,400 doses a day, how many it will actually offer is dependent on vaccine availability. 

 

 * ... CRIME: We all know that crime is spiking and  car break-ins are at a near epidemic level. Two of the favorite targets of local thieves: tailgates for pickup trucks and catalytic converters on virtually all cars and trucks. The catalytic converters can be stolen in a matter of minutes, and if you loose one, your local mechanic or dealership could charge you anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 to replace them. Pickup truck drivers are advised to use the lock on their tailgates to prevent theft.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD COLLEGE FOUNDATION: The Bakersfield College Foundation has added three new members: Ariana Joven, Paul Pavletich and Lauren Skidmore. Joven works for The Wonderful Co. in public affairs, Skidmore is a legislative aide to Assemblyman Vince Fong and Pavletich runs Premier Lighting, a family business. All three have deep ties into our community and all three have served on any number of boards and held positions at companies about town.

* ... TOP DOGS: The annual list of the most popular dogs in America has some old standbys, but some of the new popular breeds may surprise you. Topping the list is one of our all-time favorites, the Labrador retriever, and climbing the ladder into a solid second place is the French bull dog. This breed has become so popular that a man walking Lady Gaga's two French bulldogs was mugged and the dogs stolen recently. Rounding the list of top breeds were the German shepherds, Golden retrievers, Bulldogs, Poodles, Rottweilers, Pointers and Dachshunds.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to local attorneys (and married couple) Connie Perez-Andreesen and Joel Andreesen recently for donating a combined gift of $150,000 to support the Center for Social Justice and the Roadrunner Scholarship Fund at California State University, Bakersfield, to be distributed over five years. This gift, together with their previous giving to the university, brings the Andreesens' total lifetime giving to more than $250,000.

* ... MEMORIES: I spotted this picture of how the building that now houses our Woolworth looked before it burned in 1889. Thanks to the folks at Kern County of Old Facebook page.