President Biden turns to Venezuelan oil while snubbing domestic producers, City Council Andrae Gonzales' latest idea to combat dumpster fires lands with an unpopular thud and good news for fliers to Dallas out of Meadows Field

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.

 * ... SMART ENERGY POLICY? If you live in the oil patch, as we do, then you have to be scratching your head over President Biden's energy policy. As the administration continues to wage its war on fossil fuels and U.S. energy companies, the administration is now cutting a deal with the tyrants who run

Venezuela to increase production in return for the U.S. loosening sanctions. Wouldn't it make more sense to use U.S. produced energy, made in the U.S.A. and produced by American citizens instead of doing business with avowed enemies of our country? This comes on top of Biden begging OPEC to increase production, which they rejected. Wouldn't it make more sense to lift the restrictions on domestic oil and gas consumption so the jobs (and energy) stay here? Go figure.

 * ... HOMELESS ISSUES: It must suck to be City Councilman Andrae Gonzales sometimes. You represent Ward 2, which encompasses the downtown area where drugs, crime, vagrancy and homelessness have been out of control for too many years now to count. Whatever he has tried - better coordination with local businesses, private security and million-dollar new homeless shelters - hasn't worked. And now Gonzales is pushing an ordinance forcing businesses to securely lock their dumpsters so the homeless will stop setting the fires that have become all too common. But Gonzales immediately ran into a wall of protests from the very people he serves, downtown business owners who see this as yet another Band-Aid approach to a serious issue. It must have stung when Cassie Bittle, whose family runs KC Steakhouse and a woman who has become the voice of a frustrated business class downtown, posted this on Facebook as a response to his idea: "We've tried the locks, gravity bars, and fancy lids. Only other option is a cage which takes up space and construction for a business that has functioned without issue for over 50 years at the same location," she said. "There was no issue with homeless taking the bottles and cans until the lawlessness started...  Fixing a symptom of the issue not the root cause. AND we'll have three dumpsters to secure here pretty soon to meet new state regulations...why not throw a city ordinance in the mix.  Hope this grant doesn't make a $5,000 private project turn into a $50,000 publicly funded dumpster disaster." The only thing that is clear is this: the city's inability to deal with a very real crisis - and if you doubt it's a crisis have a chat with Cassie Bittle - has been a dismal failure. Half hearted ideas like putting the burden on businesses to secure their dumpsters are too little, too late.

 * ... MORE HOMELESS TROUBLE: If you are a regular cyclist, or runner, you know the Coffee Road underpass of the Kern River bike path is often flooded and can be extremely dangerous. But why? The area is not near water and you certainly can't blame the rain. Well now it comes to pass that we know the answer: according to what one city maintenance worker told a fellow cyclist, a homeless woman has been breaking the sprinkler heads on the irrigation lines to bathe, allowing the water to run freely and flood the pedestrian and cycling path. How does that make you feel about your community?

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: There's some good news for those of us who fly out of Meadows Field. American Airlines has announced it is increasing its capacity between Bakersfield and Dallas by using an Air Bus 319 instead of the smaller CRJ 900. That means there will be a full first-class seating and other amenities like WiFi and better air conditioning. The new service starts this week.

* ... MEMORIES: Take a look at this old saloon, located in the space now occupied by Jerry's Pizza, that appeared on the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Crystal Palace plans on reopening in November, Samantha Fish comes to World Records and Bakersfield loses a prominent obstetrician-gynecologist in a motorcycle accident on the Westside Parkway

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.

 

 * ... MARK ROOT: Bakersfield lost one of its most prominent and popular doctors this week when Dr. Mark Root was killed in a motorcycle accident on the Westside Parkway. The California Highway Patrol

said Root was traveling east bound on the parkway Monday night when his Harley Davidson left the road and careened down a slight embarkment and through a fence. He was located several hours later and the CHP said they believed Root may have been traveling at a high rate of speed. Root, 65, was a respected and popular long-time obstetrician-gynecologist who delivered hundreds of babies in town, as well as serving as chief medical officer at Bakersfield's Memorial Hospital. Gifted with a quick wit and keen intelligence, Root became a fixture at Memorial Hospital and in local medical circles and was active in any number of local charitable causes. He is survived by his wife Bernadette and children Daniel, Jordan and Jackie. Services are pending. (family photo of Mark and Bernadette Root)

 * ... RENO FLIGHTS: There is some good news for local travelers: Meadows Field will soon get service to Reno from ExpressJet Airlines. The new agreement will run for eight months and provide flights three days a week. The service will start as early as next week.

* ... SAMANTHA FISH: Live music has been one of the casualties of the ongoing pandemic, but some local venues are inching back into the business. This weekend, World Records will be hosting Samantha Fish, a red-hot blues guitarist recently voted one of the greatest female guitarists of all time. World Records owner Pat Evans said customers must show proof of being vaccinated.

 * ... CRYSTAL PALACE: And more good news on the music front: After going dark or more than a year, Buck Owens' Crystal Palace is planning to reopen in November. The problem, KGET says, is staffing. The Palace is looking for part-time bartenders, servers, hostesses and kitchen staff.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m giving a best man speech at my brother’s third wedding, and I’m going to open with 'Hi, it’s me again.'”

 * ... JOSHUA TREES: There is an odd story coming out of east Kern County where hundreds of protected Joshua trees have been found uprooted and destroyed. KERO-TV reported authorities are trying to determine if they trees were cut down legally, to make room for a solar farm, or if they were destroyed illegally. Stay tuned. (photo by KERO)

 * ... MEMORIES: Take a moment to gaze at these historic photos, one of the Garces traffic Circle back in 1954 and the other a "before" and "after" shots of the old French shop. Thanks to the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

Good news for the California snowpack, the state wants to limit your indoor water use, thieves run amok about town with near impunity and two F-18s fly low over town

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 reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company.

 * ... SNOWPACK: Here's some good news on the California snowpack: experts say the frozen

water supply is at 97 percent of normal. This comes after California was hit by a series of storms that brought some much needed rain in December. We are now at 33.5 inches deep, ,which state officials say is 97 percent of average for this time of year. And we will need it, because officials say the rest of the year will be drier than normal. The snowpack provides 30 percent of the annual water needed for the state.

  * ... WATER NAZIS: Speaking of water, the California nanny state has passed a new law that will make it almost illegal to do laundry and take a shower on the same day. That's right, our state Legislature passed a law that will limit personal usage of water to 55 gallons a day. Just so you know, if you take a shower and do your laundry on the same day, chances are you will exceed that 55 gallon limit. Of course, this being California, there is no way for the state to determine how we actually use water in our homes. Water meters measure gross usage, including both inside and outside, but that doesn't seem to matter to the powers at be. And guess what? By the year 2025, that limit drops to 52.5 gallons day.

 * ... THAT SOUND: That deafening sound of aircraft heard about town on Saturday around 10 a.m. apparently came from two F-18 Eagles that took off from Meadows Field on a training flight. Facebook lit up after the planes took off, and no word yet on where the planes are stationed or why they landed at Meadows Field.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD THIEVES: Petty theft is rampant across town now that the state of California has basically decriminalized (that is, classified it as a misdemeanor) any theft of goods with a value of less than $950. Across town people are waltzing into stores, filling the carts and walking out, almost daring employees to confront them. Take a look at this woman, wearing an ankle monitor no less, caught on camera. The photos were posted in the Bakersfield Thieves Facebook page. The captionL "And here it is,,, Fun Zones 1st and dumbest Dildo of 2020! Stole lingerie and forgot to leave her ankle monitor at home! And since her ankle monitor is putting holes in her stockings Will someone please let her know I'll kindly give her a new pair of stockings so she can wear back to jail if she returns the lingerie!"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: Now here is some redneck ingenuity. This was spotted on Facebook: "I was at the Tractor Supply Store and saw this pick-up that got its side window knocked out. Hooray for duck tape and the removable Tupperware lid to see the the side mirror. A redneck solution in action."

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old picture of the Angelo National Bank at 18th and Chester Avenue, home of the law offices of Chain Cohn Stiles.

Chaos at Valley Plaza as thousands jostle to get a deal, RIP Lonnie Shelton and some great news coming out of Meadows Field for air travelers

Friday, July 13, 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. 

 * ... MALL CHAOS: I am always surprised how far some people will go to save a buck. How about

standing in line with a couple thousand people, under a hot sun, with your toddler in tow to save money on a stuffed bear? Well it happened at the Build-A-Bear franchise at Valley Plaza where a couple thousand people showed up to take advantage of a "pay your age" deal. (If your child is two years old, the bear would cost $2) It was a nationwide marketing campaign that was so successful the company was forced to shut down company stores across the country, including the one at Valley Plaza and even one in London. And get this: in a scene reminiscent of Black Friday, fist fights broke out as people jostled for position at Valley Plaza. But in true American spirit, someone found a way to profit off the mess. A local Mexican restaurant, seeing the chaos at the mall, offered a "pay your age margarita special (if you were 21 years old, the drink cost $2.10).

 * ... MEADOWS FIELD: There is some good news coming out of Meadows Field. Thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Department of Transportation (arranged by House Majority Leader Kevin  McCarthy), it looks like we may get daily flight to Dallas, likely via American Airlines. According to county CAO Ryan Alsop, the county will use the money to create a package to incentivize a major airline to provide daily service. And the second bit of good news from CAO Ryan? Ryan said he is on the verge of striking a deal with Uber (and then Lyft) to service Meadows Field.

 * ... PICKLEBALL: Pickleball has taken Bakersfield by storm, and it now has eight new dedicated courts built by the North of the River Recreation district at Greenacres Park. And we are not alone: Bakersfield resident Adam Kahler sent me this poster he spotted in Driggs, Idaho.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "It’s not a successful weekend unless I’m bringing shame and dishonor to my family."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "They say couples should never go to bed angry. That’s why married people always look so tired."

 * ... RIP LONNIE SHELTON: Football High graduate Lonnie Hill, possibly the greatest basketball player ever to come out of Kern County, dies in Los Angeles at the age of 62. This Facebook post from a friend pretty much says it all: "Tonight one of the most wonderful men you could ever meet, Lonnie Shelton, passed away in Los Angeles after being in a medically induced coma for weeks suffering from high blood pressure. Lonnie was a best friend, college roommate at OSU, and an amazing college and professional basketball star. He won an NBA championship with the Seattle Sonics in 1978. There is so much more that could be said but I struggle for words. Tonight is truly one of saddest days in my life. He always finished our phone calls with 'Love you man.' I am blessed to know such a great kind man. My heart goes out to his family."

 * ... MEMORIES: How about this old picture from the Kern County of Old Facebook page?

Locally owned Olcott's home store will be closing and what's the problem with hailing a cab at Meadows Field airport?

 * ... IRISH: Dr. Shawn Shambaugh and his wife Teri were among the thousands who flew to Dublin, Ireland, last week to watch Notre Dame beat Navy in college football. They traveled with Mike and Marci Soper and Craig and Mary Kaye Hammon, and while there saw many local kids, including Notre Dame students Julia Berchtold and Brandon West and Ian Hagen (a graduate of Garces Memorial High) and David Dolinar (Stockdale High), both of whom are attending the Naval Academy. Said Shawn: "I can attest personally, we all can be very proud of these kids."

 * ... OLCOTTS: I was saddened to see that Olcott's, the large home furnishings retailer that has been a staple of our community for years, has gone out of business. Here's something to remember about locally owned businesses like Olcott's: online and other national and regional retailers can perhaps offer greater selections and competitive prices, but they can never replace the way families like the Olcotts have given back to our community in ways small and large. Every time we lose an Olcott's, the community loses a little of the fabric that makes Bakersfield special.

 * .... OVERHEARD: In a local dental office a woman is talking about her car being broken into off Gosford and White Lane. "I was picking up my friend and went into her house for maybe three minutes. When we returned my window was smashed and my purse was gone."

* ... MEADOWS: Ever try to catch a cab at Meadows Field after a flight? Well, it's not easy and in fact in some cases seemingly impossible. Take the case of Rogers Brandon, a local radio group owner and friend who flew in from Phoenix at 6 p.m. last Monday only to find no cabs waiting. Luckily he had called ahead and managed to grab a cab and spoke to the driver about why more cabs didn't meet flights Apparently, Yellow and American Cab (same ownership) have the concession for cab service from the airport. The concession is about $3,500 per year and it gives them the right to meet planes and prohibits all others from doing the same. The problem, according to my driver, is that Yellow and American cab rarely meet the planes, stranding people at the airport. If another company is called, as I did, they may circle the airport to pick up a fare. But only by appointment. The driver said that he regularly is called to the airport to pick up stranded passengers, delivers them and returns to the airport for more passengers. His record is four trips to meet fares from the same plane." The driver said he had approached airport management but was shrugged off. "Most residents do not use the cab concession and so you don't hear about it. But dozens from out of town plan to use the cabs everyday and, when stranded,  it reflects very poorly on our community."

 * ... SPOTTED: Christine Lollar was at the intersection of Fruitvale and Rosedale Highway Tuesday morning when she came upon a woman whose SUV had died. "It seemed like several hundred cars were behind us. I rolled down my window to call to her when to our relief (more her's than mine to be sure) a young man wearing a Bakersfield firefighter shirt walked up to her then proceeded to push her (quite the hill - pushing several thousand pounds - not the lady, the car) across Rosedale to the dead end portion of Fruitvale. I rolled down my window and bellowed 'thank you' receiving a dashing smile in return (not the lady, the firefighter). I will say I 'spotted' at least several dozen men in work trucks and business suits who didn’t help at all."

The stink over a local orange blossom festival and a fond farewell to Bob Montgomery

 * ... THE STINK OVER ORANGES: It looks like local citrus manager Ben Taft has stirred up a hornet's nest in the small Valley town of Lindsay over his idea for Bakersfield to host its own Orange Blossom Festival. Within a day of Taft floating his idea (read the previous post here) the folks in Lindsay were up in arms, reminding me (and Taft) that Lindsay has had its own orange blossom festival for 77 years and Bakersfield should simply back off. Deanna Pitts, who identified herself as the unofficial historian for the City of Lindsay, asked Taft to come up with another name because "our communities are too close for there not to be confusion." Taft has received literally dozens of emails, some quite nasty in tone, and others imploring Bakersfield not to "steal" an idea that - in their words - has become the lifeblood of the city. Taft is known not only for his quick wit but also for his sarcasm and told me he was moving ahead with a Bakersfield Orange Blossom Festival. He added:

 "And I am sorry that they feel Bakersfield waits in the weeds for the next great idea to escape the city limits just to be stolen by some ne'er-do-well from Kern County."

 Taft added that a simple Google search turns up orange blossom festivals in Riverside, McAllen, Texas, Naples, Florida and a dozen other communities. He added 100 percent of the net proceeds from a Bakersfield event would go to the local Ronald McDonald House and the new pediatric medical center planned for Memorial Hospital. Stay tuned for more fireworks.

 * ... RIP BOB MONTGOMERY: Was saddened to learn this weekend of the death of Bob Montgomery, a longtime Bakersfield businessman and entrepreneur. Montgomery was a founding board member at the old San Joaquin Bank and continued to serve on it until the end came on October 16. He was 89 and a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, which he faithfully attended. Montgomery grew up of modest means on San Emidio Street, graduated from Kern Union High School (now Bakersfield High School), served in the Navy in World War II and later went on to graduate from Stanford University. He founded Montgomery Drilling Co., a dynamic enterprise that stretched from Nevada to Alaska. Rogers Brandon, the American General Media president who was the San Joaquin chairman at the end, described him this way:

 "Whenever I flew with him and we landed, he'd look at whoever he was with and mutter, 'cheated death again.' He loved the bank and was a founding board member. He loved his family and he loved his Stanford."

* ... FORD'S HOT NEW FUSION: Had a chance to test drive the new Fusion, Ford's hot new hybrid that is helping lead Ford Motor Co.'s revival. The car is simply stunning, inside and out. It's no wonder that the Fusion is selling well in this recessionary economy because it gets more than 40 miles to the gallon. Chad Manning, sales manager over at Jim Burke Ford, tells me the Fusion is sitting on the lot an average of 3.4 days before it sells, compared to 63 days for the entire inventory. Said Chad:

 "Our sales rate would be much higher but the inventory from the factory is limited. Hybrid Fusion production is at capacity and we have much higher demand than the supply fills."

 Local car dealers have had it tough in this economy, along with the rest of us, and we'll never be out of the woods until credit eases and folks start buying new cars and homes again. Here's hoping the Fusion helps lead us out of this mess.

 * ... US AIRWAYS  MAKES MORE CUTS: I read with some trepidation a report in the Wall Street Journal that US Airways is cutting back on a number of routes and laying off another 1,000 people. The story did not give many details but let's hope the popular Bakersfield-Phoenix flights are not affected. Meadows Field already looks like a ghost town during part of the day, and this is something we just don't need. Speaking of Meadows Field, Mel Atkinson of the M.D. Atkinson commercial real estate company told me he spotted ex Meadows general manager Ray Bishop in Rapid City, S.D., of all places, where both were making airline connections. Bishop left Bakersfield to run the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Bako Bits: From CASA's "Light of Hope" event to warnings to keep your doors locked at night

Heading into what should be a splendid weekend, I'll leave you with a few nuggets from our town to chew on:
* CASA EVENT: April is national Child Abuse Prevention month so it's time for CASA of Kern County (Court Appointed Special Advocates)to hold its "Light of Hope" event, set for next Thursday (April 23) at the Marketplace grand fountain. CASA is a wonderful local organization headed by Coleen McGauley that does so much to help kids in need. The Light of Hope begins at 6:30 p.m. with the lighting of candles placed around the fountain recognizing child advocates. The names, which are placed on the candles, are purchased for $5 each. Call Nicole Stanford at 661-631-2272 for more information.
* LOCK YOUR DOORS: Not sure I would call it a "crime wave" yet but there sure have been a lot of reports of home burglaries across our city, regardless of neighborhood. Heard the other day about a homeowner being tied up and assaulted by two men who entered his house off White Lane near Seven Oaks at 3 p.m. They were arrested when the stolen car they were driving was found at the Motel 6 off Easton Drive. A couple weeks earlier a homeowner in my neighborhood was awakened in his own bed by someone shining a flashlight in his face. Turns out the "intruders" thought no one was home because there were two newspapers on the driveway. Guess these guys weren't smart enough to realize that some folks actually take two different newspapers every day. The homeowner and his wife chased the intruders out of the house before anything could be taken. Cops will tell you our city is teeming with opportunist criminals who spend the darkest hours checking cars and homes for unlocked doors. Keep your alarm on.
* GUN RUSH: The Wall Street Journal took notice of the surge in gun sales by Americans fearing that President Obama and the Democratic Congress will impose new restrictions. The Journal said four million background checks were performed in the first three months of this year, a 27 percent increase over last year. Walk into any gun store in Kern County (see previous post on this subject here.) and you will understand why. Weapons are flying off the shelves and you can hardly find ammunition for handguns
* WIDE BODY: The most overlooked story of the week was in the Los Angeles Times, which reported that United Airlines - after receiving more than 700 complaints - will now start forcing overweight people to buy two seats. The airline has been inundated from complaints about the discomfort of being seated next to the truly obese. This is particularly true in the small 50-passenger jets that serve Bakersfield with flights to Meadows Field.