It's Girl Scout cookie season again, RIP to Edward Lee of Action Sports, Providence Consulting opens a second office in Fresno a picture of the homeless that live among us

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.

 * ... PROVIDENCE OPENS IN FRESNO: Big news for Providence Strategic Consulting, Inc., a local governmental affairs firm that has now opened a second office in Fresno. Under president and

CEO Tracy Leach, Providence has grown into one of the most influential local PR firms particularly in the area of energy and fossil fuels. The opening of the office drew attention from the Fresno Business Journal, which noted that Providence has run PR on eight successful ballot initiatives.
Providence has hired Hanford-born and longtime Fresno resident, Monica Sozinho, as government and public affairs manager for the new office.

 * ... GIRL SCOUTS: It's that season again, the annual Girl Scout cookie sale that sends tens of thousands of young girls across the country raising money for their local troops. Ever wonder what the favorite cookie is in your state? Perhaps no surprise, but the Thin Mint is the favorite in California as well as multiple other states including Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

 * ... RIP EDWARD LEE: Not everyone can live the life of a celebrity, or TV personality or political figure. Most of us just try to work and do the right thing, plodding along quietly while playing by the rules and leading good, productive lives. And that would describe Ed Lee, who touched thousands of lives with his quiet, unassuming manner and quick wit. Unless you were into exercise and fitness, or hung out at Kerry Ryan's Action Sports, you may not have known Edward Lee, an expert bike mechanic with a wicked sense of humor, warm smile and a master's mechanical touch. (He also worked at TA Cycles before Action Sports) Lee was just 53 but he died this week after suffering two strokes. Ed was beloved not only by his coworkers at Action Sports, but also the legions of cyclists, runners and snow borders who got to know him while hanging around Action Sports. He passed away quietly at Adventist Health Hospital. RIP, Ed.

* ... LOCAL CRIME: I spotted this post on the Bakersfield Thieves Facebook page. Be careful out there: "SCAM ALERT!! Last Friday 1/31 on Union and California there where people collecting money for a 6 year old girl named Dalia. Posters they had said she had Lymphoma. Jars they were carrying looked like 1 gallon water jugs covered in red duct tape. Today Tues 2/4 they have moved down to Union and Brudage and 'Dalia' is now a 9 year old and 'Suffers from Cerebral Palsy.' Same people, same collection jugs, different story. Sorry no pictures, I was driving."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My 2 year old daughter watched the Super Bowl halftime show. She's now a stripper and selling pictures of her feet online. She's supporting the entire family and we've never been more proud."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "I just dislocated my knee trying to imitate Shakira's hip pop."

 * ... STREET LIFE: A couple of random shots of people living on the street, the first one compliments of Nick Ellis and the second by a friend. Both pictures were taken downtown this week.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old picture of the corner of Chester and 18th Street, now home to The 18 Hundred restaurant. The first is a colorized version of the original.

City attorney Ginny Gennaro among the applicants to replace city manager Alan Tandy, Tracy Leach works overtime to combat misleading information on the oil industry and a UC Berkeley instructor thinks rural Americans are cursed

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. 

 * ... ALAN TANDY: Is City Manager Alan Tandy standing in the way of a faster, cheaper way to build a low barrier homeless shelter? That's what City Councilman Willie Rivera thinks, and he articulated it during an appearance on The Richard Beene Show this week. Rivera claimed that Tandy

is hellbent on the city building its own shelter with Measure N money, and has ignored overtures by the county to work together to attack the problem. Both Supervisor David Couch and county CAO Ryan Alsop have offered to work with the city, and Rivera himself asked city staff to look into a city/county venture. What happened? According to Rivera, it fell on deaf ears as Tandy pushed ahead to build a separate city shelter. Rivera, if you recall, opposed a city staff recommendation to buy property on East Brundage, a move that likely irritated Tandy to no end. Meanwhile, the city continues its quest to find a suitable site, but Rivera made it clear he is waiting for Tandy to retire Jan. 10, 2020, to get a fresh start on this nagging problem.

 * ... REPLACING TANDY: Meanwhile the city has more than 20 applicants to replace Tandy, and at least one of them in an inside candidate. I am told that city attorney Ginny Gennaro has thrown her hat into the ring to replace Tandy. No word on if our two assistant city managers, Chris Huot and Jacqui Kitchen, have also applied. Gennaro is well respected and well liked on the city council. (file photos if Gennaro, Kitchen and Hot)

 * ... FULL MOON: Are you ready for the last full moon of the decade? Well that is happening this week so get ready to cast your eyes toward the sky to catch it. Known as the "cold moon," this one will appear larger and brighter than usual, according to NASA. "Cold Moon" is a name the Algonquin tribes gave December's full moon as a way to mark the long, cold nights that accompany it. Other nicknames for this month's moon include Oak Moon, Moon before Yule, Long Night Moon, Uduvapa Poya, the Karthikai Deepam Moon and the Chang'e Moon.

 * ... ARE WE 'BAD PEOPLE?':  If you come from a farming family or one involved with oil, do you consider yourself a "bad person?" Well, apparently Jackson Kernion does and she should know because - well, you know - he teaches philosophy courses at UC Berkeley and he is prone to deep thinking. "I unironically embrace the bashing of rural Americans," Kernion wrote in a now deleted tweet. "They, as a group, are bad people who have made bad life decisions ... and we should shame people who aren't pro-city." Okay, let that sink in for a minute. This is a teacher at an elite university who apparently has no shame. Kernion also said rural citizens should pay more in taxes and be forced to live "uncomfortable" lives for rejecting "efficient" city life. Kernion later deleted the tweet and said he would "reflect" on it. And there you have it.

 * ... SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: If you work in the oil and gas industry, it is hard enough dealing with distortions and half truths when it comes to the fossil fuel industry. And that is what happened when former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger went on 'Meet the Press' last week and proclaimed - inaccurately - that Kern County produces more jobs in the solar industry than the oil and gas. Among those who were livid was Tracy Leach, head of Providence Consulting, who represents fossil fuel interests. Said Providence: "In the Meet the Press interview, Schwarzenegger stated as fact that the solar industry provides more jobs for our area than oil. The truth is our oil and gas industry provides 23,900 direct and indirect jobs whereas solar has only 1500 permanent jobs created since 2007! Clearly there is no comparison and how the former California governor got this so wrong is very unfortunate."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Tonight I'll be drinking wine from the skull of the guy that wouldn't stop asking questions during the webinar."

* ... BAD FORM: Just when you things could not get worse, you learn that people who received gifts from non-profits are returning them to retailers for cash. That's right, just check out this post I spotted on Facebook: "I just witnessed the most sickening thing... a woman returning multiple 'gifts,' clothes, bikes, skateboards, dolls... all given by Angel Tree. Walmart didn't give her cash, but they gave her a gift card to be used for ANYTHING Walmart sells! After almost crying (seriously), I asked the Walmart associate how often they saw this, the answer was ALL DAY the day after Christmas... IF you do give to ANY of the multiple organizations that give to the needy children, please take time to mark through the bar code with a black Sharpie (Walmart says they look for this)...(I copied and pasted this from a friend. Sickening!) Mark through those barcodes.":

* ... MEMORIES: A walk down memory lane in pictures, looking first at the old Kress building and later an old theater back in the day.

Neighbors rally to help Slice of Italy pizzeria after vandals strike for a second time, more on the drug addicts that roam our streets, Jay Tamsi gets a state award and Rep. Kevin McCarthy visits Israel

Friday, August 16, 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 community such a special place. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... GOOD NEIGHBORS: Did you hear about the vandalism at the Slice of Italy pizzeria on F Street? It has been hit twice in three days by teenagers who have been randomly throwing rocks

through the windows. What is happening to our community? The sense of lawlessness (and hopelessness with the homeless) is overwhelming, particularly downtown where dumpsters are set on fire, businesses are vandalized and street people use the public sidewalks as their personal urinals. But there are good people in the world, and I was thrilled to see the folks at Providence Strategic Consulting across F Street rally to help a neighbor. CEO Tracy Leach's staff have been lining up to buy pizzas there while encouraging the owners to hang tough. Now that is what you call a good neighbor.

 * ... OUR TIMES: So Slice of Italy is vandalized, a dumpster is set on fire and our parks have turned into camps where the addicted and homeless buy, sell and use drugs, sleep, defecate and trash. On Thursday, during a break while playing pickle ball at the new courts at Jastro Park, I came upon two young men and a young woman, seemingly homeless, using a syringe to shoot up in the public restroom. This has become a new norm. Think about that for a minute.

 * ... MORE CRIME: Meanwhile, it was heart breaking to read a post on Facebook about some items that were stolen during a break-in of a car downtown. The post: "Yesterday afternoon my vehicle was broken into and a white 3 ring binder containing my father's original military paperwork (DD214), 8 death certificates, life insurance policy documents, marriage certificate, funeral home paperwork including his thumbprints that were on a white card the funeral home did just for me, and the Social Security Administrations award letter! It was stolen in the area at Truxtun and N. Please! Please! Please! Contact me if you find any of these documents discarded anywhere! The last name on all of the paperwork is Beckwith. Yes, my car was locked and the alarm was armed. My windows have limo tint and u cannot see into the backseat area floorboard where the binder was located. I had just returned to work from accompanying my mother to an appointment at the VA service center and that’s why it was in my car. We have notified all 3 credit bureaus, the banks etc.. I just need these documents back!

 * ... JAY TAMSI: Congratulations to Jay Tamsi who has been named executive of the year by The California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. Tamsi has served as CEO of the Kern County Hispanic Chamber for the past eight years. He will be honored at the statewide convention in Stockton next week.

 * ... ISRAEL: A few more pictures of House Minority leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy's trip to Israel, where he renewed his pledge to support the Jewish state even as it comes under attack by a group of progressive Democratic congresswomen. Israel, meanwhile, has informed Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) that they will be barred from visiting Israel during a trip scheduled to start Sunday.

 * ... MEMORIES: Some more great historical shots thanks to Art Moore and the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. Enjoy.

In just a few short hours we will all be voting. Watching the Latino turnout, Couch and Maggard fight for their jobs and Providence Strategic Consulting throws a soiree

Monday, November 5, 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.

 * ... ELECTIONS: If you are into local politics as I am, you will be watching the outcome of a slew of hot local races on Tuesday. But forget about the national implications for a second and remember the old refrain: all politics are local. So first, keep an eye on the Latino turnout, and if they swing

Democratic (as expected) or Republican. That no doubt will play out in the 4th Supervisor District where David Couch is vying for reelection. In the 3rd District, can Mike Maggard fend off Jeff Heinle, and in the Assembly, can incumbent Rudy Salas contend with challenger Justin Mendes? (By the way this is a race in which both candidates will spend a combined total of around $3 million). And then there are the twin sales tax issues for both the city and the county, the dueling marijuana initiatives and Prop 6 which seeks to repeal the gas tax. It will be a full few days and we will watch the results.

 * ... BIG QUESTIONS: One of the things to look for Tuesday: are we seeing the end of the "old guard" in Kern County because of demographic shifts in the electorate? Can you image if both David Couch and Mike Maggard were defeated on the Board of Supervisors? If Grace Vallejo beats Couch walking away, what does that say about the emerging strength of the Latino vote in Kern County? And are the Latinos a lock for the Democrats? Justin Mendes is a formidable candidate against Assemblyman Rudy Salas, but does he have enough support to push him past Salas and his deep campaign coffers? Even the down ballot race for an open seat on the Kern High School District raises important issues. Bryan Colebrook, backed by Cathy Abernathy's Western Pacific Research, fumbled badly in implying his opponent Jenifer Pitcher was not qualified because she is single and has no children. Will the vaunted Abernathy machine be able to push him past the finish line?

 * ...GAVIN NEWSOM: Have you seen pictures of the truck following the Gavin Newsom bus around the state? Check it out here:

 * ... PROVIDENCE CONSULTING: I ran into CASA's Colleen McGauley at the annual soiree that Providence Strategic Consulting put on at The Mark restaurant. Providence owner Tracy Leach always puts on a good show, providing an excellent opportunity to network and catch up with old (and new) friends. McGauley was there, and we had a chance to talk about her decision to leave CASA after 17 years. She said it was her call to step aside, citing how large and involved the organization had grown over the years. She will no doubt remain in the non-profit world, and when she lands a new job, we will report it here. Others I spotted there were Kevin Burton, Holly Arnold, Rick Kreiser, David Couch, Perry Finzel, Barry Zoeller, Cindy Pollard, Beatris Espericueta Sanders, Derek Jeffery and so many more.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You know it's a big game day when your husband walks in the bedroom at 10 a.m. and nonchalantly says, 'Wanna beer?'"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Life is short. Make sure you spent most of your time arguing about politics with strangers on the internet."

 * ... ART IN THE PARK: Sometimes it is the small things that uplift us. That's how I felt when I saw so many of the electrical and power boxes along Panorama Park painted by local artists, a brilliant move that enlivens the area and deters graffiti artists. Supervisor Mike Maggard teamed up with local artist David Gordon of the Arts Council of Kern to have artists do the painting. Panorama Park now has "art in the park" so to speak.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this grainy old photo of the mouth of the canyon when it was just a dirt road, compliments of the Facebook page Kern County of Old.

As homelessness grows the city and county struggle with ways to combat it, Greg Gallion hangs it up at Houchin Blood Bank and animal rescue groups push for new laws

Friday, August 17, 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.

 * ... HOMELESS: Was the big county meeting on the homeless a sincere effort to deal with a serious problem, or a political stunt aim at putting on a good face so close to the November election?

Jeff Heinle, the firefighter running against Supervisor Mike Maggard, called it a cynical stunt put on by a board who has wasted a decade doing nothing. Heinle said homelessness is the county's No. 1 issue, and I for one agree with him. And what would he do to tackle the problem? Dig into the county's emergency fund and pay for programs that were set up - but largely left unfunded - almost a decade ago. "We have to do something," he told me on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM. "This is why I am running. I am not a career politician and I want to get something done."

 * ... POOP PATROL: Meanwhile, one of the potentially harmful side effects of homelessness is all the urine and feces left on the streets, creating a health hazard reminiscent of some of the worst Third World cities. And it is happening in California now in San Francisco, where the city has created a full-time "poop patrol" to clean up feces left by the homeless. Seriously. And all that at a cost of $700,000 a year. Let that sink in.

 * ... HOUCHIN BLOOD BANK: After overseeing explosive growth at the Houchin Blood Bank, Greg Gallion is hanging it up as president of the local non-profit. Gallion joined Houchin in 2001 and was instrumental in the opening of the blood bank's new facilities off Buena Vista Road. A graduate of East High School known for his signature handlebar mustache, Gallion has been the public face of the organization while serving on the board of multiple boards and non-profits. Among other things, he is a past president of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, former member of the Kern County Fair Board and a board member with JJ's Legacy. No word yet on who will replace him.

* ... ANIMAL CONTROL: Meanwhile, the folks in the local dog and cat rescue world are starting to come together to demand the county and city adopt tougher laws to protect stray dogs and cats. Some of their top priorities: make breeders take out permits before they breed dogs (exceptions allowed for AKC breeders), make the tethering of dogs more restrictive and form an animal control cruelty task force to impose harsher penalties on those who abuse their pets. This is one issue that can we solved with some forward thinking policies.

 * ... FOREVER HOME: And speaking of animal rescue, congratulations to the folks over at the Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies Rescue for finding a "forever home" for Shadow, a pit bull who lived the first five years of his life chained to a stake in the ground. Left in the sun all day, Shadow spent his days trying to chew through the huge chain, losing most of his teeth in the process. Donna Carpenter, a former Bakersfield resident now living in Alaska, adopted Shadow after money was raised to get the pit transported to his new home.

 * ... AH THE IRONY: The irony in this scene is rich. On the day the county's Homeless Collaborative met to discuss our growing problem with the homeless, I pulled into the radio station parking lot to find our parking lot had been taken over by eight to 10 homeless and all their belongings.

 * ... PROVIDENCE: Hats off to Gabriela Gonzalez, most recently a staffer for state Sen. Andy Vidak, who has now joined Providence Strategic Consulting, Inc. as its new Government Public Affairs Manager.

 * ... MEMORIES: You just have to love this old photo/postcard.

Clinica Sierra Vista lends a hand to the neediest among us, the last house on 24th Street goes down and how long before someone calls for the removal of the state of Father Garces?

 * ... HELPING HAND: Hats off to Clinica Sierra Vista and a number of other organizations that teamed up to lend a hand to some of the neediest among us. The organization, which provides basic

medical services to the poor and needy, opened its doors at its Old Town Kern facility to provide free haircuts, breakfast burritos, HIV testing and screening for glucose and high blood pressure.
It was all part of National Health Center Week, an annual celebration of community health centers like Clinica Sierra Vista. Said Clinica CEO Steve Schilling: “The marginalized of our community are why Clinica was created. We can’t forget our roots.”

 * ... FRANKLIN: A sign of the times about traffic and growth: parents of students going to Franklin Elementary downtown have been told that walking their kids to school on busy Truxtun Avenue is too dangerous because of the speeding cars. Instead, they now must enter the school from the rear entrance on 18th Street.

 * ... FATHER GARCES: How long do you think it will take before someone calls for the removal of the statue of Father Francisco Tomas Garces at the Garces traffic circle? Is he a symbol of the white European repression of native Indian tribes, or an inspiration as one of the first Europeans to discover California? Take your pick.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "I thought I felt a cold breeze but it was just my mother's sighs of disappointment."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If anyone asks, I'm drinking all this wine to collect corks for a Pinterest project."

 * ... 24TH STREET: The last house standing in the way of the 24th Street widening is being demolished this week, clearing the way for the next phase in what will be a long process to improve the road. Next up: installation of sound walls on the north side of 24th.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A downtown resident is telling friends about a homeless woman who showed up at his door one evening past 9 p.m. "She was holding two Ramen noodle cups and asked me for hot water. I turned on the hot water and looked back and she was inside my house. When she saw I had ordered a pizza, she said 'Can I have some?'"

 * ... PEOPLE IN THE NEWS: Providence Strategic  Consulting Inc. has announced that two local business women have become affiliated with the firm. They are Kristin Hagan, a local attorney, and Kim Schaefer, a political and public affairs advisor who most recently was the public face behind the successful effort to rescind the PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program.

 * ... WEEKEND MOVIE: Playing locally here at the Maya Cinemas is a movie called Wind River starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olson. It is one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year and is touted as a moving, dark drama set on an Indian Reservation. Olson plays an FBI agent sent to Wyoming to investigate a murder. Worth considering for your weekend enjoyment.

Are the streets of Bakersfield growing meaner by the day? And would it surprise you to know that the labrador retriever is among the dogs that need the most attention?

 * ... MEAN STREETS: Are our streets growing meaner by the day? I've been mulling this over for the past year or so as I've noticed an explosion of homelessness as well as an alarming rise in young men who clearly of the criminal bent. For the most part the homeless are harmless, and many are

suffering from emotional or mental disorders or just simply down on their luck. But the restless, jobless criminal element is also out there, contributing to the spike in petty thefts and burglaries that has not left any neighborhood unscathed. And we wonder why folks want to live behind the gates in Seven Oaks and other planned communities.

* ... DOGS: Do you know what breeds of dogs need the most attention? By that I mean they thrive on human interaction. According to the iHeartdogs.com website, the Australian Shepherd tops the list follows by the Labrador Retriever, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Border Collie, Brussels Griffon, German Shorthair Pointer and the Cocker Spaniel. Personally my tastes have always run toward pound mutts.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Russia hacked the election and I can't even hack my neighbors wifi."

 * ... PROVIDENCE: Congratulations to Tracy Leach and her crew over at Providence Strategic Consulting which held a holiday open house at its newly renovated offices on F Street. Leach furnished the offices with some handsome locally made tables and wrought iron, a testament to the creativity that Kern County offers.

 * ... WOOD WORKING: And speaking of local artists, I recently purchased a seven-foot long handmade wood table from Sam Ames, a friend who has been repairing wood instruments (violins etc) for years and has now turned his attention to making custom furniture  The table is made from reclaimed vineyard stakes and - like the piece in Tracy Leach's office - speaks to our local history, our agricultural heritage and a burgeoning local artisan scene.

* ... STARS THEATER: The Stars Dinner Theater has been struggling financially for several years now, but its regulars give its performances rave reviews. Said Marilynn Dunbar: "We attended Forever Plaid, the Christmas version, and it was delightful. The talent was amazing, as good as anything you would see in Los Angeles. The only thing lacking was a larger audience."

* ... MEMORIES: Here's some more on those junior baseball fields that existed next to Memorial Hospital, from reader Warren Pectin. "There were 10 baseball diamonds at the JBA fields on 34th Street near the Memorial Hospital. I played two years in the minor league (junior high school age) and two years in the major leagues (freshman and sophomore years.) ... There were close to 60 different teams consisting of about 15 to 18 individuals/ team, each with a sponsor that provided uniforms, bats, baseballs, etc... The managers and assistant managers were guys who enjoyed baseball and coaching, some of whom were fathers of the players but not on the same team as I recall. We usually played one game a week on a Saturday and the 'season' started before school was out and ended by the last days of summer. Each age group had an all-star game that was played at Sam Lynn field on North Chester. The playing fields were moved to the Sam Lynn area my second year in the minors (1959) and remained there for some years after I quit playing. The 1,000 or so boys who played and the 120 managers and assistant managers were kept up to date weekly as standings were published weekly by the Californian and occasionally an article about an individual or team would also be featured in the Californian."