Defendants in a Father Craig suit file an appeal, Bakersfield makes a list of "fat" cities and a Golden Eagle Hawk makes a spectacular flight back into the wild

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.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: There's been a development in legal battle between Monsignor Craig Harrison and a critic and an organization he sued after Harrison was removed from his post because of allegations he may have molested young men and boys over the course of his career. Lawyers for the Roman

Catholic Faithful and Stephen Brady filed an appeal this week asking the Fifth District Court of Appeal to reverse a lower court decision that denied an anti-SLAPP motion because Harrison was not a public figure. Attorney Paul Jonna argued that Harrison's high standing in the community and frequent appearances in the media rendered him a public figure by any standard in Kern County, and that Brady had never defamed Harrison in any of his statements. The 71-page appeal graphically details allegations from six or more men who claimed Harrison subjected them to both emotional and sexual abuse while Harrison served as a priest in Merced, Firebaugh and Bakersfield. Only one of the accusers, a Benedictine monk who went by the name Brother Gilligan, was named in the report. Gilligan - his real name is Ryan Dixon - has also been sued by Harrison. Jonna is asking the court to reconsider throwing out Harrison's lawsuit because he is a public figure and has engaged in a "pattern of rank intimidation against those who speak against him. He's sued a victim, an investigator, and his own diocese - and enlisted his brother to engage in a campaign of harassment." (file photo of Stephen Brady and Harrison)

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Everything that makes me happy either gives me cancer or makes me fat."

 * ... WORST CITY: Did you catch the story going around the internet showing the "worst city" in every state? Well you guessed it, Bakersfield is listed as the "worst" city in California. A puzzling list for sure and few would argue there are plenty of "worst" cities even in Kern County much less the state.

 * ... AND WE ARE FAT, TOO: Maybe one of the reasons we rank so low on the list of desirable cities is because we are collectively grossly overweight. That's the word from The American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation that says Bakersfield came in a dismal 99th out of 100 cities in terms of exercise and eating well. In case you care, Arlington, Va. ranked best among the cities examined and dead last, right behind us, was Oklahoma City, Okla.

* ... GOLDEN EAGLE: There was a magnificent small ceremony out at Wind Wolves Preserve this week when a Golden Eagle hawk was released back into the wild after recovering from an injury. The bird was released in a part of the 93.000-acre preserve that is off limits to visitors, but these pictures are stunning.

 * ... MEMORIES: This week we feature a couple of old hotels from back in the day. This one is of the old F.M. Noriega Hotel, built in 1893 located at 525 Sumner Street. The original name was the Ibaria Hotel.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there is this old photo of the El Tejon Hotel, compliments of the Kern County History Fans' Facesbook page.

Gov. Newsom orders bars shut in Kern and six other counties because of the coronavirus, Medicali becomes the latest restaurant to close temporarily, vagrants take over the old 24 Hour Fitness and the hold bar at Noriega's is salvaged

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 person or organization.

 * ... BARS TO CLOSE:  Faced with an alarming spike in coronavirus cases, Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered bars in Kern and six other counties to close. The order came Sunday for bars in the

following counties to close: Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, San Joaquin, Tulare, Kings and Imperial.  In addition, eight other counties have have been asked by state officials to issue local health orders closing bars: Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Stanislaus. “COVID-19 is still circulating in California, and in some parts of the state, growing stronger,” Newsom was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying. “That’s why it is critical we take this step to limit the spread of the virus in the counties that are seeing the biggest increases.” The question here: faced with their own dire economic circumstances, will bar owners comply?

 * ... COVID VICTIM: It looks like Mexicali has become the latest victim of Covid-19. Word is at least two employees have tested positive (other employees have been tested but the results are not

back) and the popular downtown restaurant has been closed all weekend, the only notice being a sign on the door. Mexicali joins a growing list of local eateries to close because of the pandemic, including Luigi's, In-N-Out, Dewar's and Woolgrowers.

 * ... HBO MOVIE: A new HBO mini series called "I'll Be Gone In The Dark" debuted this weekend, the story of the notorious Golden State Killer who terrorized multiple communities and was only tracked down because of DNA evidence. A local expert on the case, former Kern County sheriff's deputy Martin Downs, will appear on The Richard Beene Show Tuesday to discuss the case that started in Tulare County as the killer spread fear throughout the state. Tune in Tuesday at 1:30 for my conversation with Martin Downs.

 * ... 24 HOUR FITNESS: One of our city's hot spots for the homeless is near the intersection of Gosford Road and White Lane, home of the 24 Hour Fitness that closed a couple weeks ago. As soon as the company hauled away its exercise equipment, the building became a magnet for the homeless. I drove by there Saturday to find more than a dozen homeless making the building their new outposts. Two men were using a syringe to feed drugs into their veins while others had set up camps in the shade near the front entrance. And so it goes.

 * ... RIP NORIEGA'S: Anyone who spent any time in Noriega's has been mourning its demise, closed by its owners after Covid-19 dealt a death blow to family-style eating. These pictures of the restaurant and bar tell the story. The long bar is headed to the Kern County Museum to be on display where, unfortunately, it will be lost in the mountains of displays of other artifacts.

 * ... MEMORIES: Courtesy of the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, check out this old image of roads at the base of the Panorama Bluffs around 1911. The caption reads: "Shown are China Grade Road and Jewett Lane north toward the Kern River Bridge. I think this image is from the Californian of July 1, 1911 posted in anticipation of a major auto race. Of interest is the then-forestation of the general area now called Panorama Preserve."

The resistance to the shut order grows louder in Kern County, Noriega's closes its doors for good, business owners say the homeless are running amok downtown and we mark one year since a local priest was suspended because of sexual abuse allegations

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 person or organization.

 * ... RESISTANCE: More than a month into the lockdown, the calls are growing louder to allow businesses to reopen before the pandemic puts everyone out of a job. The latest move came in a four-

page letter to the Kern County Supervisors, demanding they reopen the county or face possible legal action for violating the 1st, 2nd, and 5th amendment as well as the "fundamental right" of freedom of movement. The local movement reflects the national frustration with the stay at home order that has put 26 million Americans out of work and threatened the viability of businesses across the nation. The letter to the Supervisors was signed by 20 local business people and attorneys, among them Cassie Bittle of KC Steakhouse, Clayton Campbell, Mark Carroll ,Isaac L. St. Lawrence, Mark J. Bigger and others.

 * ... NORIEGA HOTEL: The Noriega Hotel, the grand dame of the Basque eateries that once won a James Beard Award, has closed for good. The startling announcement was made this weekend by the owners who said a combination of factors - a tough business climate even before the pandemic, the hassle of running a business in old town Kern and now the coronavirus - had convinced the owners that now was the time to shutter the place for good. Of all the Basque eateries, and there are some great ones - Pyrenees Cafe and Woolgrowers to name two - the Noriega Hotel was my favorite. Family style seating, the best garlic chicken found on the planet and a priceless atmosphere that we may never see again. Will someone with deep pockets swoop in to save the place? Stay tuned.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: Can you believe it has been over a year since Monsignor Craig Harrison was suspended by the Diocese of Fresno because of allegations he sexually abused young men over the course of more than 30 years? Or is it more remarkable that the anniversary passed without so much of a whisper of recognition? What was yesterday's biggest story hardly deserves a mention today as the community has moved on. So where are we now? The Diocese seems in no rush to pass its final judgment on Harrison, who in the meantime remains in some kind of Dantesque inferno of suspended animation, a priest without portfolio who must be content to spend his days tapping out Instagram posts from his front porch. It's a far cry from when Harrison enjoyed the perks of  being one of the most beloved figures in town, but that increasingly seems only a distant memory. In fairness to everyone - Harrison, the St. Francis parishioners, the accusers, the families of the accusers and the community at large - the Diocese needs to make a call: defrock him, retire him or allow Harrison to return. It has gone on long enough.

 * ... JORDAN LOVE: Bakersfield has landed another player in the National Football League. Jordan Love, formerly of Liberty High School and later Utah State, was selected in the first round by the Green Bay Packers.

 * ... HOMELESS: There are many who believe the coronavirus lockdown has simply emboldened the homeless, pointing to yet another rash of break-in and vandalism downtown. Ask any downtown property owner and they will tell you harrowing stories of lurching from one break-in to another now that the enforcement of homeless encampments has pulled back because of the pandemic. Some random shots of those who live on the streets.

 * ... MEMORIES: Of all the pictures of the old clock tower, few top this one which I spotted on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. I could gaze at this for hours.

 * ... SAN ANDRES FAULT: An amazing shot of a section of the San Andreas fault, from about 30,000 ft. over the Carrizo Plains.

Remembering some lives cut short while celebrating a youngster named a partner in a law firm, and our signature local eateries enjoy huge holiday crowds

* ... LIVES CUT SHORT: We've lost a lot of good people this year, and their contributions to our community should not go unnoticed. In the past week, we noted the death of Steve Starbuck, the 48-

year-old partner in the tax/audit firm of Brown Armstrong, and Ray Bishop, the former head of the Kern County Airport who helped build the Bill Thomas Terminal. Bishop was a Vietnam veteran who left Bakersfield to run the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was 69. In October, we said goodbye to Steve Ruggenberg, former head of Golden Empire Transit who left us to pursue his love of baking and cooking. Also a Vietnam veteran, Ruggenberg was 70. Three good men, now gone. As my friend Brad Barnes says: "Every heartbeat counts."

* ... LAWYER: Here's a reason to applaud those children who go away to college but return to put down roots in our community. One of them is Neil Gehlawat, who has been named a partner in the plaintiffs law firm of Chain Cohn Stiles. Gehlawat is a Stockade High School graduate who went on to attend UC Berkeley and the University of Texas School of Law. Not a bad accomplishment for this 27-year-old wunderkind.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "They don’t make pizza or beer out of celery. And that is all you need to know about celery."

 * ... HOLIDAYS: One of the great joys of this time of year are the holiday parties that showcase our community's signature restaurants. On a rainy weekend like the one we just experienced, you could barely find a seat in the iconic food joints like Luigi's Delicatessen, Noriega Hotel, Uricchio's Trattoria or Pyrenees Cafe and Saloon. Good to see these locally owned eateries doing so well.

 * ... FOOD: And did you catch the mouth watering, special Pete Tittl section of food and restaurants in the Saturday Californian? I did, and I immediately hurried over to Coconut Joe's for their signature fish and chips. Located off California Avenue, Coconut Joe's has always offered some of the most consistent food and service in town.

 * ... SCAM: We have yet another scam to worry about, and this one could destroy your credit and put you at risk in other ways. Here's how it works: you receive a check in the mail from ATT for $3,650, part of a larger gift you have "won." The letter says the check helps cover a $1,450 tax fee. This happened to reader Carla Rivas, and when she checked with her bank, she was told if she cashed the check the scammers would have access to her checking account number, routing numbers, Social Security and other information. "I am so angry because I know that some elderly people will fall for this, and they will be out the $1,450 'tax fee,' and their vital info will be stolen," she said, "After the check bounces, I have to pay the bank back and now I have sent a Western Union payment and I am out that." The lesson: if it looks too good to be true, it normally is.

California State University Bakersfield welcomes its largest freshman class ever, and a local couple sings the praises of the amazing Noriega Hotel eating experience

 * … CSUB: There is some good news out at Cal State Bakersfield, where the university is welcoming its largest freshman class ever. President Horace Mitchell said more than 1,400 freshman are registered to start classes, boosting total enrollment to another record - just over 8,000 students.

* … NORIEGA: Shirley Brazel and her husband proved the old adage about taking time to appreciate the things that are close to home. They were dining at the Noriega Hotel with their son and his wife who had heard about the restaurant's well deserved reputation. "What a delightful evening we had," she said. " We sat at long table and engaged in conversations with strangers while enjoying
outstanding food as well as the atmosphere. This was a whole new experience for us (I usually prefer privacy at restaurants). My husband and I have lived in Bakersfield for seven years and the couple sitting near us could not believe we had never been to Noriega's before. As we said our good-byes to new acquaintances we expressed liking our evening. When we left, we learned this nice couple had paid for our dinner. We thank them so very much and we in turn will do the same to some one else. In the meantime that generous couple will be added to our daily prayers."

* … BAD FORM: Donna Cazacus encountered a bit of bad form that seems all too common around town. She was having lunch at California Pizza Kitchen the other day when she encountered two other women with three children, who were running wild around the restaurant. "I know you were enjoying your lunch because neither one of you paid any attention to what your children were doing; you made no attempt to discipline them," she wrote. "Apparently, you didn’t notice that most of the people in the restaurant were looking at you and your children in disbelief. And the people who were seated at the booth next to yours actually changed tables in an attempt to enjoy their lunch. The manager spoke to you twice about the situation, but you didn’t see fit to address the issue. Allow me to address it. Your mothering skills are abysmal—perhaps even nonexistent. Your children not only lack common manners, but by allowing them to behave as they did only teaches them not to have any respect for other people or for things that don’t belong to them... You are not preparing them to be in social situations. You are not preparing them to be able to sit still and focus when they go to school.  You are not preparing them for life. And, worst of all, you are allowing them to be a danger to themselves and to others!" Well said.

 * … OVERHEARD: A group of women who regularly walk on the Panorama bluffs in the morning are sharing ideas about how to keep the area clean of trash. Said one: "We should get McDonald's and Taco Bell and Burger King to sponsor the trash cans up here with signs thanking people for discarding their trash properly. Otherwise they just leave in in the gutter."

* … FUND RAISER: If it's October in Bakersfield you know we have entered the peak of fund raising season. One of my favorites it the 2nd annual barbecue benefitting the St. Vincent de Paul Homeless Center at 316 Baker Street. The event is set for next Thursday evening, October 9. I attended last year's inaugural event and it proved to be an extraordinary success. Nearly 800 steaks were served, and an estimated $70,000 was raised to help the eastside facility help the neediest in our community. For tickets, contact Deborah Leary at (661)  872-1543. It may be the most important $25 you spend this fall.

 * … RACER: Congratulations to Sean Dodenhoff, a Garces Memorial High graduate and now a junior at University of Nevada at Reno who won the Bay Cities Racing Association Midget racing championship three weeks ago. Said his proud grand father Arnold Johansen: "Sean drives a midget race car built by his dad, local chiropractor, Dr. Brad Dodenhoff.  Sean is a pre-med student and drives the race car on a part time basis as his classes allow.

 * … BAKERSFIELDISM: Several readers wrote to correct an earlier post about local theaters, reminding me that the Rialto was located in East Bakersfield, not downtown. I stand corrected.

We're No. 1 (in air pollution) and the Norega Hotel gets some well deserved recognition

 * ... POLLUTION: Bakersfield came out on top of another list of dubious distinction. According to the American Lung Association, we have the worst air pollution in the nation. Following Bakersfield as the nation's worst offenders were Los Angeles, Phoenix, Visalia and Hanford. The collection of so many Central Valley cities is further evidence of the general overall poor air quality in this fertile, agricultural area we all call home. As the report noted: "California has the warm, sunny climate that encourages pollutants to form and the geography that helps trap them."

 * ... NORIEGA: So nice to see the Noriega Hotel getting some much deserved publicity by winning a James Beard Foundation award recognizing this historic Bakersfield eatery. The New York Times ran a glowing review, which of course comes as no surprise to those of us who regularly dine there. Sister owners Rochelle Ladd and Linda McCoy flew to New York to receive the award during a ceremony at the Lincoln Center. Here's to Noriega's pickled tongue, oxtail stew and fried chicken.

 * ... NAVY PILOT: Hats off to Miles Smith, a Bakersfield High School product who just graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical science. He was also commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant and will be sent to the Pensacola Naval Air Station to begin training as a flight navigator. His parents are Cheri and Lee Smith of Bakersfield.

 * ... BUICK: A shiny new silver Buick Lacrosse showed up in my neighbor's driveway the other day, fresh off the lot at Motor City. Dubbed by the automotive trade press as the "Lexus killer," the Lacrosse has enjoyed terrific reviews and its styling is indeed impressive. Even more impressive is watching Buick, not exactly an exciting brand for my generation, make a complete comeback.

 * ... MAIL BAG: And there is this from my mail bag: Jacob Johnson, a Bakersfield boy who became a California Highway Patrol officer, was chosen to sing the national anthem at a ceremony recognizing and honoring all California peace officers who died in the line of duty. "What a blessing to be able to attend this ceremony as well as to hear his beautiful voice," said his mother, Pat Tricia Johnson. Jacob worked for the CHP in Bakersfield and is now stationed in the Golden Gate Division where he works as a canine officer.

 * ... MANNERS: How long is one expected to wait for a doctor's appointment before walking out? I had one of those "you have the first appointment after lunch" the other day and gave it 25 minutes before leaving. Sometimes it just feels good to take matters into your own hands.