Some restaurants make the cleanliness grade and some fail, more on officer-involved shootings and Facebook suspends the account of conservative commentator Candace Owens

Monday, May 20, 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.

 * ... SHOOTINGS: Did you read the front-page Californian story Sunday saying that most of the

officer involved shootings in town involve people of color? It is an oft-repeated story that offers absolutely no solutions, because the issues are complicated and have long confounded experts. It speaks to  segregated neighborhoods, poverty,  drugs, crime and gangs. It is really surprising that more shootings occur on one side of town other than, say, Seven Oaks? (Shootings follow crime and drugs, not skin color) Stories like this make for provocative headlines, while casting doubt on our police officers, but do absolutely nothing to add to the dialogue of where we go from here.

 * ... PERFECT KITCHENS: On the other hand, Bob Price's Sunday story on how some restaurants keep their kitchens spotless (even in century old buildings more prone to infestations) offered a look at how some restaurant owners are frankly more diligent about keeping their kitchens clean than others. People like Jaclyn Allen of the Hen's Roost (one of my favorite vegan eateries in town) routinely score a perfect 100 on their restaurant inspections while others are cited repeatedly for rat infestations and other misdeeds. It's another reason to pay attention to the health department grade ratings posted in the windows.

* ... LOCALE: Meanwhile, it was good to see that the restaurant Locale Farm to Table is back open after being shut down by the health department because of rat droppings. It was the second time the popular organic restaurant had been cited for rat droppings, but the place is now cleaned up and back open for business across from the downtown post office.

 * ... FACEBOOK BAN: Did you sewed that Facebook suspended the account of conservative commentator Candace Owens? Owens, who last week spoke in Bakersfield at a fund raising event for state Sen. Shannon Grove, is the latest conservative commentator to face the wrath of Facebook. This time, she was suspended for saying white supremacy is not a threat to black Americans. And that was enough for a suspension? You be the judge.

 * ... GOOD FORM: What did you do this weekend? Whatever it was, I bet it pales in comparison to what a group of young people did to help beautify our community.  Thanks to a generous grant from the Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation, the Tree Foundation of Kern planted 45 potted trees in Downtown Bakersfield Saturday morning. City Councilman Andrae Gonzales joined the effort and had this to say: "This project- over a year in the making- could not have been possible without the support from General Tree Inc., Conway Lopez and John and Enriquez and the Tree Foundation board members, and volunteers from Arvin High School, the Carpenters Local 661, among others. Special thanks goes to Melissa Iger for coordinating the effort!"

 * ... MEMORIES: Some old photos from Bakersfield compliments of the Facebook page Kern County of Old.

Bakersfield makes a list of deadly cities for pedestrians, hats off to Mayor Karen Goh for preventing Corrections from dumping parolees in Bakersfield, and the city prepares to close off Truxtun Avenue

Monday, May 17, 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.

 * ... FITTEST CITIES: So where do you think the fittest city is in the United States? Well according to USA Today it is Arlington, Va., right across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

Arlington ranked first in both personal health for its citizens as well as community and environmental factors. Following Arlington were Seattle, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Madison, Wis., and Washington, D.C. Now (and you know where this is going) where did Bakersfield rank? It ranked all right, but not on this list. Instead, Bakersfield  ranked 10th on a list of USA Today's most deadliest cities for pedestrians.

 * ... PRISONERS: We dodged a bullet the other day when the California Department of Corrections back pedaled and decided not to release 100 to 120  parolees into our community. And it looks like we can thank Mayor Karen Goh for this. Alarmed over the idea (and terrible optics) of between 100 and 120 parolees wandering the streets of Bakersfield, Goh worked with Corrections through Gov. Gavin Newsom's office to lodge her complaint. It worked, and Corrections said only a couple dozen of parolees could end up here. Goh credited others in devising a plan to protect our community, including District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and police chief Lyle Martin.

 * ... PARKING: Hats off to whoever decided to convert G Street into a one-way street behind the downtown post office. Along with making it one-way, the city installed diagonal parking to increase the number of spaces near the downtown facility. It is a small change but an important one for those of us who frequent the downtown postal facility.

 * ... ROAD CLOSURE: Here's something you need to remember this weekend: Truxtun Avenue will be closed all weekend at the Westside Parkway. The road will be shut down from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for the removal of falsework from the bridge crossing Truxtun. The closures will affect both directions of travel between the westbound Westside Parkway on-ramp and Commercial Way. The westbound ramp will remain open to traffic, but the eastbound off-ramp will be closed.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: This post speaks for itself.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these old photos Luigi's and Lemucchi's Grocery, 725 19th Street, Bakersfield CA., back in the day.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And check out this photo from 1898 at the corner of Chester and 19th Street.

Another California cop is shot and killed, Amy Travis takes over as head of CASA and Brian Dignan resigns as athletic director at Garces Memorial High School

Friday, January 11, 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 to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... OPEN SEASON ON COPS: Another cop has been shot and killed, this time a 22-year-old

rookie in Davis who seems to have been killed execution style. Authorities said Natalie Corona was investigating a traffic accident when someone calmly walked up to her and shot her. The suspect, who later shot and killed himself, lived just a few blocks from the accident scene.

 * ... CASA: Amy Travis has been appointed the new executive director of the Court Appointed Special Advocartes (CASA), replacing longtime director Colleen McGauley who recently retired. Travis worked under McGauley for years before leaving to work at OneLegacy, but was lured back after McGauley decided to retire.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My dogs don’t understand why I have to leave the house everyday, and quite frankly, neither do I."

 * ... BRIAN DIGNAN: Brian Dignan has resigned as athletic director of Garces Memorial High School, but will stay on as head men's basketball coach. In a Facebook post, Dignan said he wanted to spend more time with his family and noted that Gino Lacava would replace him as AD. Dignan previously spent a decade as an assistant basketball coach at CSUB and he also coached at Bakersfield Christian High School. Meanwhile Dignan's wife, former TV weather person Melissa Dignan, has also taken on a new job with Environmental Safety Solutions. Congrats to them both.

 * ... HEATHER LAGANELLI: One of the pioneers of the locally sourced farm to table movement, Heather Laganelli, has purchased the building that houses her downtown restaurant, Locale Farm to Table. Laganelli tries to use food and meat products produced no father than 100 miles from Bakersfield, and her creative culinary touch has created a strong and loyal following. Her restaurant is located across from the downtown Post Office in the old Vincent's Cyclery Building. She also purchased an adjacent building that once housed a silversmith and a cobbler, and she plans to convert that into a "to go" restaurant sometime later this year. (Pictured is one of Heather's desert creations)

 * ... CRUELTY: By now we have all heard about the woman who was shamed for riding a 
Bird scooter and dragging along a dog. The story recently appeared in London and the post has gone viral on social media. If you missed it, here is the original post: "While riding bikes downtown on A and 20th street, we watched this awesome human being riding one of the Bird Scooter’s at about 15 MPH dragging this poor dog behind her by a leash. The dog was on its side and we watched it being drug at least 100 yards and there’s no telling how long she had been dragging it for before we saw her. You can see that its paws are all completely bloody. I was unable to get a good picture of the poor dogs side. Sat on the phone with BPD while following her all the way back to an apartment on 24th St. She had the nerve to tell us that “shit happens, just like with kids”! Ummm yeah I don’t drag my kids down the street by a leash. If only she would have been a guy! She told me that she was going to call the cops on me for harassment and threatened me but she sure didn’t open the door and have something to say when the police went knocking on the door. I hope to see you again girly! Feel free to share this post. " Since then police have interviewed the woman and said the dog has been treated and will fully recover. Stay tuned to see if charges are filed.

 * ... MEMORIES: I found this on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, with this caption: "The first constructed building on the now BHS (Kern County High School) campus was in 1885 and it was called the Commercial Building. The building stood where current Elm Grove is with several of the original 1895 driveway palm trees still standing."

Disneyland raises prices yet again, a moving tribute for cancer victim Christopher Kreiser and putting the spotlight on organic foot pioneer Heather Laganelli at Locale Farm to Table

Monday, January 7, 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 to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... DISNEYLAND: If you are a fan of Disneyland, get ready for another round of price hikes. That's right, Disney has announced price increases o up to 25 percent for daily tckets, annual passes

and parking. Said the Los Angeles Times: "The increases, which took effect Sunday, come less than a year after the resort adopted price hikes of up to 18 percent. Under the latest increases, the cheapest daily ticket will be more than $100. Daily parking prices are rising to $25 from $20 — a 25 percent increase." The resort expects visitor demand to skyrocket when it opens its new area, called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, this summer. The 14-acre expansion will feature two attractions, including a ride that lets visitors pilot the Millennium Falcon, the spaceship flown by Han Solo in the “Star Wars” movies.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If anybody tells you you’re putting too much Parmesan on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don’t need that negativity in your life."

 * ... RIP CHRISTOPHER: It was a wonderful tribute and service this weekend for Christopher Kreiser, the 39-year-old local businessman who lost his battle with cancer, leaving behind a wife, three young children and a legion of friends and family. His father, Rick Kreiser, spoke on behalf of his family before a standing room only Catholic mass at St. Francis and then the crowd headed over to the Crystal Palace to be serenaded by the great Jim Shaw and one of Rick's longtime friends, guitar virtuoso Carl Verheyen. Christopher died of lymphoma while undergoing experimental treatment at UCLA Medical Center. He is survived by his wife, Katie and three children: Carson, Kyle and Kensie.

* ... FARM TO TABLE: A plant based diet is not right for everyone, but there is no denying that the movement is here to stay and steadily gaining adherents. Look no further than the expanding organic and vegan sections at Vons, Albertson's and Smart and Final. Not long ago vegan and soy-based "meat" products could only be found at Lassen's and perhaps Sprout's, but today they are near ubiquitous. There are also a growing number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, including Hen's Roost downtown and Guapo's Tacos off White Lane where they offer a scrumptious like of vegan tacos. One of the local pioneers of this movement in Heather Laganelli, owner of Locale Farm to Table across from the downtown Post Office. Formerly known as Union Deli, Laganelli has run the restaurant since 2015 by focusing on healthy, locally sourced food and vegan options. On Monday she will be on The Richard Beene show at 2:30 p.m. (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) to talk about the growing popularity of healthy eating. Tune in to hear her story.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of our Fox Theater, compliments from the Kern County of Old Facebook page. Amazing.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there is this, from the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. It had this caption: "3 unidentified men in a 1912 photo that states 'Booze Joint' (left side) and a fraternal flag that is F. O. E. (Fraternal Order of Eagles)."

Work gets under way on the 24th Street widening, Candi Easter dies and did you know that more than 50 U2 spy planes were made right here in Oildale?

Friday, October 26, 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 to live. Send your news tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * .. 24TH STREET: The widening of 24th Street has been decades in the making, and now after eight lawsuits and years of delays, the final construction phase is now under way. The city held a

ground breaking Thursday morning at the corner of 24th and Oak Street on the empty lot that once was used to sell pumpkins and Christmas trees. Now that houses on the north side of 24th have been razed and a brick sound wall erected, the next step is a sound wall on the south side near Oak and Beech Street, the widening of 24th between the Kern River and Beech and the widening of the northwest portion of Oak Street. It should all be done by spring 2020.

 * ... RIP CANDI: Candi Easter, the longtime head of the Kern County Democratic Party, has died after an extended illness. Easter stepped down from her party post a few years ago and has been in ill health for months. Services are pending.

 * ... U2 SPY PLANES: Did you know that the famous U2 spy plane was assembled right here in Bakersfield? That's right, according to retired Gen. James Whitehead the first 50 U2s were assembled at a secret Lockheed manufacturing facility on Norris Road in Oildale. The U2s were assembled there in 1956 and 1957. The planes were assembled there and flown to Nevada where they were flight tested in the military's super-secret Area 51 airfield.

 * ... DOWNTOWN EATERIES: If you don't live or work downtown, you might be missing a growing culinary trend toward mom and pop family owned restaurants devoted to healthy eating. The Locale Farm to Table across from the downtown Post Office started the trend, and now right down the street are a growing number of eateries: Rig City Coffee Roasting, Better Bowls and the Hen's Roost, home of the best vegan burger in town. Meanwhile, more local restaurants and bakeries are planned for the so-called Eastchester where the Smitten Cafe has enjoyed a gangbuster's business. If you haven't been downtown lately, it is worth your while.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Why are you showing me pictures of your kid if you have a dog?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "No matter how nice I ask random people, nobody will take me to Funkytown."

 * ... SPAY NEUTER: Hats off to a group of local pet rescue organizations for a successful day vaccinating more than 300 dogs this past weekend. Dozens of spay neuter vouchers were issued, pet food was provided for those in need and distemper vaccinations were administered at Heritage Park. Volunteers represented a number of organizations, including Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies Rescue, SafeFurr Place Animal Rescue, Cook's Veterinary Hospital, Bakersfield SPCA and the Bakersfield Pet Food Pantry. The event was funded by the Basic Needs Foundation. The next clinic will be held Nov. 11 at the same park.

 * ... MEMORIES: How many of you attended this Fleetwood Mac concert back in the day?