Californians are stuck paying the highest utility rates in the nation, the movement toward electric cars is headed for a break through and just about everyone (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Chipotle) are raising prices these days

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.

 * ... CALIFORNIA SOLAR: If you pay for utilities here in California, none of this will come as a shock to you. But trust me, it will (and should) leave you angry. Thanks to California politicos on renewables

and natural gas, California's retail rates have increased 50 percent over the last decade. Part of this is due to the generous green energy subsidies that critics say only helps the rich in California, or at least those who can afford to upfront costs of solar. The Wall Street Journal said even the Sierra Club feels it is time to reduce the solar incentive.

 * ... ELECTRIC CARS: It looks like electric cars are about to make a big break through. According to The New York Times, sales of electric vehicles are so strong that dealers are requiring larger down payments and some models are sold out for the next two years. And, the Times noted a huge event is coming when Ford introduces its all electric F-150 pickup truck, which if successful will steer thousands of pickup drivers to the electric standard. The auto industry is on track to invest half a trillion dollars in electric vehicles over the next five years. And here is an interesting tidbit: in December, electric vehicles outsold battery powered cars in Europe for the first time ever. In all about 4 percent of all cars sold in the United States are electric.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I was going to clean my house but decided to stop inviting people over instead ."

 * ... POPE BENEDICT: So did you hear that a retired pope, Benedict XVI, is seeking forgiveness for mishandling cases of clerical sexual a use during his tenure as an archbishop in Germany? Given the church's dismal record is protecting pedophiles and covering up the actions of priests by continually transferring them, I am not sure whether to laugh or cry at a retired pope asking for forgiveness. Instead of looking for blanket amnesty, how about this retired pope apologize for the countless number of men and women who have been demeaned and shouted down after they made their accusations, only to find now they were correct? If all this sounds familiar, look up the case of Craig Harrison, the once popular Bakersfield priest who has been accused by multiple men of sexual abuse. The difference here: Harrison's case is wide open and he has been sued by a number of men who claimed he abused them over the years. Be prepared for to read some graphic testimony as this case makes its way through the courts. 

POCKETBOOK ISSUES:

  * ... AMAZON PRIME: Last week we told you that Netflix was raising its prices to $15.49 a month and now you can also expect to pay more for your Amazon Prime account. The retailer said its annual fee, which provides free shipping as well as access to its video library, was rising $20 to $130 annually.

 * ... STARBUCKS: Starbucks, which notoriously opened its shops and bathrooms to the homeless a few years ago, is saying thanks by raising the price of your non-fat latte. It looks like the price hikes will be virtually across the board. And while Starbucks prides itself on its social conscience, it should be noted that does not extend to unions. The coffee maker is fighting a union organizing effort in Memphis. So let's get this straight: it's okay for homeless people to strip naked and bathe in your bathroom (as I have encountered in Bakersfield twice) but not okay for people to join a union. One imposes hardships on your customers and the other on corporate management. Go figure.

 * CHIPOTLE: And finally, Chipotle Mexican Grill says it also is raising prices as it plans to build hundreds of more stores in the coming year.

 * ... MEMORIES: Lastly, courtesy of our friend at the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, we leave you with this magical picture of a parade down Chester Avenue back in the day.

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."

Anonymous letters threaten to burn down the homes of Trump supporters, local lobby the state to have water in the Kern River year round and some old pictures of Steve McQueen on a motorcycle in Lake Isabella

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.

 * ... THREATENING LETTER: KGET reporter Bob Price is looking into a letter that has been showing up around town threatening Trump supporters with violence after the election.  "Your address has been

added into our database as a target for when we attack should Trump not concede the election," he said. "We recommend that you check your home insurance policy and make (sure) that it is current and that it has adequate coverage for fire damage."

 * ... NETFLIX: If you are like me, you have spent the pandemic running through the inventory at

Netflix, which has seen a surge in revenue and subscribers over the past eight months. Netflix added 2.2 million subscribers in the third quarter, just shy of its estimate of 2.5 million, and revenue jumped 23 percent to an incredible $6.4 billion. It has now leveled off, but count Netflix among those companies who have benefitted from the long lockdown.

 * ... DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME: Fall has finally come to the Central Valley as temperatures dip, leaves begin to change color and the end of Daylight Savings Times is near. The clocks will roll back one hour on Nov. 1, the day after Halloween, at 2 a.m. It’s also a good time to replace batteries in warning devices such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If your device has sealed-in batteries, remove any debris and check to confirm they are functioning properly. Daylight saving time will return at 2 a.m. on March 14, 2021.

 * ... KERN RIVER: The push to get water flowing year-round in the Kern River made its way to the State Water Resources Control Board's monthly meeting. That's the word from Lois Henry and her website SJVWATER.ORG that said multiple speakers asked the board to make it a priority to allocate unappropriated water on the river to keep is flowing year round. One of the speakers from Bakersfield, writer Kelly Damian, said "the people here deserve to have their river back." Damian was among a group of speakers who were behind a change.org petition seeking water in the river full time. "If Mono Lake can be saved, the Owens can be restored and the San Joaquin can flow again, we will bring back the Kern," the petition said.  This is no quick fix, to be sure, but it's good to see some influential local people pressuring the state to do the right thing.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) weighed in on the dispute over the decisions by Twitter and Facebook to start censoring certain conduct. Said McCarthy: "When Twitter selectively targets any user based on politics, they not only undercut their own Terms of Service, they undermine the principles of our First Amendment. Freedom of speech is an inherently American value. It must be protected."

 * ... KGET DEBATES: Hats off to the folks over at KGET for stepping up when others won't: KGET has devoted its time and airways to a series of debates, including one featuring Rep. Kevin McCarthy versus Kim Mangone, Rep. T.J. Cox against former congressman David Valadao and Assemblyman Vince Fong versus Democrat Julie Solis. As one viewer said on Twitter while watching the McCarthy debate: "Sorry Kim Mangone, not now. Not today." Even thought candidates like Mangone and Solis are clearly outmatched, the management at KGET and debate moderators Jim Scott and Eytan Wallace deserve our thanks for airing all of these debates.

* ... STEVE MCQUEEN: Check out these old photos of the late Hollywood actor Steve McQueen, a motorcycle enthusiast, gassing up in Lake Isabella. Thanks to former Californian photographer Felix Adamo for posting this and crediting the photo to John Dominis, who was on assignment for LIFE magazine.

 * ... MEMORIES: And check these pictures out, from the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.