Angry steers mix it up with cyclists during a Bakersfield off road cycling event, Kern County video targets disgruntled deputies in other areas and Garfield the sweet chunky tabby at Bolles Nursery passes on ...

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.

 * ... RECRUITMENT VIDEO: So did you see the 60-second spot advertising for deputies to come work for the Kern County Sheriff's Office? It's a crafty little video, seemingly targeted at LA County

deputies, touting the values and pro-police agenda known to Bakersfield. Of course, it didn't happen without the catcalls from the defund the police  crowd, who hold both the cops and Kern County in low regard. But both Sheriff Donny Youngblood and county chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop seemed pleased with the video and say they already are receiving inquiring about relocating to Kern. Kern County currently has more than 200 openings in the Sheriff's Office and has long struggled to keep other agencies from poaching our best officers.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The lack of fires and police cars turned over is why people say there are no actual Rams fans."

 * ... SOLID SLEEP: When was the last time you got a solid seven, eight hours of sleep. Years ago? Ever? It's the bane of all of us, particularly when you get older and find yourself bolting upright in bed at 2 a.m. wondering if you ever will get back to sleep. Well now the New York Times said all this on again, off again sleep may actually be natural, and in fact they say it dates to Medieval times when we all practiced what they call "segmented sleeping." Here is how it works: back in the day before electricity it was common for people to go to bed at dark, then awake at midnight when couples has sex to expand their families, and then back to bed at 4 a.m. It worked like that for years, leading some experts to believe if it is unreasonable to expect a full eight hours of sleep in one setting. 

 * ... ROCK COBBLER: The Rock Cobbler is a painfully difficult, 83-mile race around the foothills of Kern County put on by Sam Ames of Action Sports and a band of volunteers. Top cyclists don't complete it under eight hours and it has virtually every hazard known to man. But this year, there was a new obstacle, an easily agitated steer that charged three cyclists after they came too close. It was horrific footage but we are told all three cyclists are fine and the race, which drew more than 550 riders, was a success. Videos of the steer-cyclist encounter have been featured on Fox News and shared on social media tens of thousands of times.

* ... RIP GARFIELD: If you spend any time at Bolles Nursery Landscape you are familiar with the older, sedentary cats that live peacefully amid the boxwoods and ground covers. Well now the good folks at Bolles tell us that Garfield, an orange tabby, has died and crossed the rainbow bridge. This was posted on the Bolles' Facebook page: "It is with a heavy heart we let you know Chonky man Garfield went to kitty heaven.  He was only with us a short time but quickly became part of our family.  We will miss him dearly.  We are so grateful for the time we had with him and all the joy and laughter he brought to all of us including our customers."

* ... MEMORIES: This blast from the past comes to you via Art Moore and the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. Check out Bakersfield back in the day.

American aid worker who died in captivity in Syria pens an emotional letter to her parents, and trying to find reason over the fears of a measles outbreak

 * … KAYLA: One of the most emotional, and inspiring, messages I have read recently was penned by Kayla Mueller, the 26-year-old Arizona woman who died at the hands of the Islamic State militants. After her death was confirmed (she was kidnapped while working as an aid worker in Syria) her

parents released a letter she wrote while held captive. In part it read:  "If you could say I have 'suffered' at all throughout this whole experience it is only in knowing how much suffering I have put you all through; I will never ask you to forgive me as I do not deserve forgiveness. I remember mom always telling me that all in all in the end the only one you really have is God. I have come to a place in experience where, in every sense of the word, I have surrendered myself to our creator b/c literally there was no else….by God… by your prayers I have felt tenderly cradled in freefall. I have been shown in darkness, light + have learned that even in prison, one can be free. I am grateful. I have come to see that there is good in every situation, sometimes we just have to look for it."

 * … MEASLES: The percentage of Kern County residents who have been vaccinated for measles now sits around 93 percent. That's the word from Steve Schilling, chief executive officer of Clinica Sierra Vista, which provides services to some 200,000 residents in Kern, Fresno and Inyo counties.

Despite the outbreak at Disneyland in Anaheim, Schilling noted that not a single case has been traced to Kern County. By contrast, there are some "micro communities" like in Marin County where parents are resisting vaccinating their children. The vaccination rate in Marin, Schilling speculated, is likely in the 60 to 70 percent range. As for Kern County, Schilling noted he "would not get too panicked about it." Clinica is also a leading provider of putting residents in the Covered California program.

 * … COBBLER: Congratulations to Sam Ames and Keith Barnden for staging an incredibly difficult cross bike race this past week throughout the hills of Kern County. This ridiculously challenging race, called the Rock Cobbler, covered more than 100 miles both on the road and in the dirt and it took most of the 180 riders a full eight hours to complete. It attracted ultra cyclists from across the west and and SamBarn (that's the name of the company run by Ames and Barnden) once again proved itself worthy of hosting a first class event.

* … BIGGAR: A small clarification on an item involving the late David Biggar and some property he owned downtown. This from his son, Bruce Biggar. "My father, David Biggar, purchased the property in the early 1950s when he began his construction company. The building to the north, Panda Palace, was constructed by Blue Chip and they originally occupied the entire building. My uncle, Whitney Biggar, had his office at corner of Stockdale Highway and Real Road, present site of the 7-Eleven. In the early 1960s, the office was moved to the south when my uncle sold the corner for the convenience store."

  * … LANDSCAPING: Betsy Gosling wrote about thje lush new landscaping on Buena Vista Road. "It is beautiful and lush, but I'm wondering, are they using a drip system or not, did the city approve this landscaping system without any restrictions on water usage? If the city isn't restricting use of water by these companies building homes and adding landscaping, what are they thinking? Are they wearing blinders? This is very poor planning by everyone, unless they are using a drip system.  s the city just ignoring the fact that we are in a terrible, and I do mean TERRIBLE, drought?  If the city is going to close the spray parks, they should certainly be restricting landscaping."