Rudy Salas bails out of his debate against Congressman David Valadao, we remember the giving legacy of Peggy Darling and life downtown, where the drug addicts have taken over the public restrooms

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.

 * ... VALADAO-SALAS: Lots of movement in the hottest race in the Valley this week: Assemblyman Rudy Salas abruptly pulled out of a scheduled TV debate with Rep. David Valadao this week, apparently miffed over a Valadao attack ad in their hotly contested congressional campaign. This is one of the most closely watched races in the country and both parties are pouring in money to tip the campaign. But let's not mince words here: Salas' decision was a bad one, totally inexcusable and a move that calls into

question if he has the integrity to serve. Too harsh? Then consider this: our country is undergoing the deepest and most disturbing upheaval in politics we have seen in decades, and when the voters get a chance to hear from the candidates for the 22nd Congressional District, they should be able to do so. KGET TV offered up the air time, Valadao was ready to debate, and Rudy opted to pout. Sorry Rudy, but cutting out because you are upset over an attack ad doesn't pass the smell test. Salas held a comfortable lead for months but polls now show the race as a tossup. 

 * ... FLORES VS SMITH: One of the more interesting races in the local elections this year is the campaign for 3rd District Supervisor pitting Jeff Flores against Brian Smith for the seat being vacated by a retiring Mike Maggard. And no where in town is there more campaign signage than Panorama Drive, where almost every house has either a yard sign for Flores or Smith. If Panorama Drive is any indication, it will be a close race.

 * ... SALVAGGIO WEIGHS IN: Former city councilman Mark Salvaggio has weighed in on that supervisor race, tossing his support behind Jeff Flores while saying he was deeply troubled by Smith's statement that he is an election denier and proud MAGA Republican. "In this vein, I opine Donald Trump is intellectually, ethically, and emotionally unfit for any public office. A person with a working moral compass did not and would not ever support the chaos, incivility. confusion and cruelty of this former president who was a part of the attempt to overturn a free and fair election and keep himself in power, against the will of the American people. Make America Great Again supporters like Brian Smith have endeavored to gut the integrity of our democratic political process... We do not need an ideologue on the Kern county Supervisors," Salvaggio said.

 * ... KERN TAX ENDORSEMENTS: Michael Turnipseed and his organization Kern County Taxpayers Association, a group that monitors local government and makes recommendations, has issued its endorsements for this election year. Among other things, KCTA supports the 1 percent sales tax increase for unincorporated country areas, but it does not support a referendum that proposes term limits for supervisors.

* ... VAGRANTS WIN AGAIN: Jastro Park was the home to the Central Valley Pickleball Classic, a regional tournament that drew more than 100 players, many coming from out of town. Jastro is one of our town's oldest parks and is home to both tennis and pickleball courts. It also has a public bathroom, but it has long been the home to drug addicts who have been allowed to basically live in the park. So what did the pickleball tournament do? Organizers rented their own portable potties instead of subjecting the players to a closeup lesson in heroin or fentynal addiction. Now with all the millions of dollars we have raised through Measure N, which was targeted to fight crime and homelessness, is it too much to ask that the public can use a public bathroom without witnessing a heroin shoot up?

 * ... RIP PEGGY DARLING: Bakersfield lost an icon recently when philanthropist Peggy Darling died just a few weeks before her 96th birthday. Many younger people may not know of Peggy, her family and legacy and her contributions, and that is a shame because without her efforts and generosity the Fox Theater would not be in the shape it is in today. And while the Fox was a favorite of Peggy's through the years, her philanthropy did not end there. CSUB, local theater and the arts were among the dozens of local organizations that benefitted from her charity. Before her death, Darling also announced plans to convert the back of the Fox into a space to honor our local firefighters. Peggy is preceded in death by her husband, Curtis Darling.

 * ... MEMORIES: Take a look at this giant California oak tree from a long ago picture at Tejon Ranch. Photo compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Supervisor candidate Brian Smith proclaims himself a MAGA election denier, Valadao and Salas in one of the most expensive congressional races in the nation and waking up to find the homeless and their carts setting up in your neighborhood

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.

 * ... ELECTION DENIER: Here's an intriguing question in the campaign between Jeff Flores and Brian Smith in the 3rd District Supervisor race: now that Smith has admitted to being an election denier, will it affect the race? Smith, a retired assistant commander with the CHP, said he believed the election was

stolen under questioning by KGET anchor Jim Scott during a televised debate last week. Asked if he had proof, Smith could not produce it (he mentioned something about "30,000 ballots in Torrance" but failed to explain its relevance) and clumsily talked his way through without answering the question. Asked the same question, Flores said he did not believe the election was stolen, saying he didn't believe in conspiracy theories and chose instead to talk about his commitment to family and community. Smith, who always planned to run for Sheriff until Donny Youngblood chose to run again, opted enter the 3rd District after Mike Maggard announced his retirement. Flore is Maggard's chief of staff, and he also has experience on the Kern High School District. So will having a conspiracy theorist in the race help or hurt Smith? Stay tuned.

 * ... SALAS VERSUS VALADAO: Rep. David Valadao is the lone Republican congressman left who voted to impeach President Trump; all the rest have either been defeated by pro Trump candidates in the primary or chosen not to run for reelection. This year, Democrats have targeted the seat and have put up Assemblyman Rudy Salas as their candidate. I ran into Salas at a fund raiser for Leticia Perez, who is running for 35th Assembly seat, and Salas said the 21st Congressional District race is now the second most expensive congressional race in the country. I bet it becomes the most expensive congressional race in America. 

* ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: Here is a random posting (I am omitting who posted it for privacy reasons) which has become all too familiar in our community. The resident wakes up and finds a homeless person with all his belongings in his neighborhood. Think for a second how this visual pollution of homelessness and the real threat of spiking crime and out of control vagrancy has had on our community. It has rendered us anxious, angry, uncertain and worried about the value of our property and belongings. That is the real toll of allowing the surge of drug addiction and homelessness to run rampant in our community while we sit idly and blame the state, doing virtually nothing to impede the homeless from using our public sidewalks as their personal toilet and sleeping area. The caption on this picture: "On my morning walk. Coming to your neighborhood soon . Reporting live from WEBFUKD."

* ... COSTCO HOT DOG:  Here's some good news for inflation weary consumers and it comes compliments of Costco. The company has told analysts that it has no plans to raise the price of its $1.50 hotdog combo special despite the squeeze on profits. Costco chief financial officer Richard Galanti was asked about both the hot dog combo meal and the $4.99 rotisserie chicken, and he assured analysts that at least at this time, the prices will not go up.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: A Maya Angelou quote worth sharing:

 

 * ... MEMORIES: Here are two nuggets from the Facebook page of the Kern County History Fans, always a joy to spend a morning with. Enjoy.

Leticia Perez jumps into the race for the state Assembly, supervisor Brian Smith is questioned about his non political columns in the local paper and who would stead life sized statues depicting the war on cancer?

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. 

 * ... LOCAL POLITICS ROUNDUP: This year will be an important election year as redistricting and retirements have introduced both confusion and opportunity in local political circles. First, Supervisor Leticia Perez make it official this week she is running for the 35th Assembly District, which has also

drawn interest from Taft Dr. Jasmeet Bains. Rep. David Valadao will be running in the 22nd Congressional District instead of the 21st, where Assemblyman Rudy Salas is running. And on the Board of Supervisors, Mike Maggard's retirement has opened the door to a hot race featuring Maggard aide Jeff Flores, former Homeless Center director Louis Gill and retired CHP officer Brian Smith. In the 16th state Senate District, former Assemblywoman Nicole Parra is running after briefly flirting with a bid to unseat Rep David Valadao. Stay tuned because things are just heating up.

 * ... CAMPAIGN SHENANIGANS? Brian Smith is a retired CHP officer who has been talking about running for Kern County Sheriff for at least two or three years. So far, so good. Knowing that he intended to run for office, Smith teamed with our local newspaper, The Bakersfield Californian, to begin running a weekly series of seemingly non-political stores focused on life as a law enforcement officer. So far, so good, but just to be clear, let's assume Smith knew he was a virtual unknown who needed name recognition to run for a countywide office, and what better way than a weekly column in your local paper? But now some are questioning if Smith didn't skirt the law when the paper kept running his column (it has since killed it) while he was openly running for the District 3 seat on the Board of Supervisors. (Smith made it clear he would not run against Sheriff Donny Youngblood, and when Youngblood said he would run again, Smith turns his eye on the supervisor seat held by retiring Mike Maggard.) Former city councilman Mark Salvaggio was among those questioning his intent and he sent Smith this email: "Brian, Who is guiding, advising your campaign for District 3 Supervisor? Has Brandon Martin moved on? Your last "Cop Tales" column was published in The Bakersfield Californian on December 12, after the Oildale Christmas Parade, where you campaigned with a banner proclaiming "Brian Smith for Supervisor." You have been campaigning for several months. This is true. You filed your Campaign Form 410 with the Secretary of State to officially run for Supervisor on October 21; 6 "Cop Tales" were published subsequently (October 31-December 12). You did an endorsement interview with the Kern County Prosecutors Association on September 10. You also interviewed with the Kern County Firefighters Union on October 4 for its support. What tangled webs we weave when we first practice to deceive," to borrow an applicable line from Sir Walter Scott." Now here is the ironic part: Smith had his hands full already in the District 3 race where incumbent Mike Maggard's chief aide, Jeff Flores, is expected to run. Flores enjoys wide name recognition, has served on the Kern High School District and is deeply involved in Republican circles. Flores was trouble enough for Smith and it just got worse when Louis Gill, former head of the Bakersfield Homeless Center, just entered the race, another formidable opponent.

 * ... DECISION 2022: Local elections and how Kern's demographics are changing will be the topic of this week's Bakersfield Observed podcast, which will be released Thursday. Joining me to review the political landscape will be Russell Johnson, a former Bakersfield city councilman and now head of Common Sense Consulting. Tap into your account on Spotify or Google, or wherever you access your podcasts, to Russell and I chop it up about local politics.

 * ... SMELLY HOMES: For the past two years the pandemic has forced most of us to spend more time at home. Home gyms and offices have proliferated, more of us are working from home, some of us have acquired more pets and some of us are home schooling our children. In short, home is where the heart is and in that case, it means our homes can get stinky with so much activity. So said the Wall Street Journal: "Housebound Americans are buying more air fresheners, scented candles and pungent cleaners to overcome one of humanity's deep social fears - that visitors will think their abodes stink to high heaven." 

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Remember the old days before free social media when we had to buy newspaper ads to publicly announce our courage, thoughtfulness, virtue and nobility? It’s so much easier now!"

 * ... CANCER STATUE DISAPPEARS: Just when you think people can't stoop any lower, sure enough they do something that simply astonishes you. This time it appears a group of people took the time to plan and execute the theft of a series of life-size bronze statues that once stood in Beach Park as a testament to those who fought cancer. That's right, the statues of men, women and children gleefully emerging from a maze to celebrate beating cancer have disappeared, and no one seems to know what happened. One of the first to notice was local clinical  psychologist Cory Gonzales who posted this on Facebook: "I remember the grand opening of this inspirational tribute to cancer survivors. I also remember making a speech (here) on how important this was for us survivors & the culture of our community. I just heard that all of these statues were stolen, absolutely heartbroken! Is there anything sacred? Are there no more ethics in our society? Where is our collective conscience? A sad day indeed."

 * ... MEMORIES: Now take a look at these historic pictures from the Kern County History Fanssite. Just look at that armory at Gordon's Ferry back in the day.

Leticia Perez will not run again for Supervisor while eyeing other options, Home Depot kicks out a resident tabby from the paint department, and medical marijuana for depression and anxiety?

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. 

 * ... MUSICAL CHAIRS: It's that time again when politicians across Kern County starting looking at their options: who is being termed out, who isn't, and what is the next step? And this week, Supervisor

Leticia Perez confirmed this week that she will not seek reelection, presumably to set herself up for a run to succeed Rudy Salas in the State Assembly. In normal times this would come as no surprise as Perez solidifies her position as a popular Democratic centrist whose views embrace some positions - like how fast do we get off fossil fuels - that are highly unpopular in more liberal circles. But these are not normal times and Perez is not saying what she might do, despite the fact that Salas is vacating District 32 to run against Congressman David Valadao. What is Perez planning? Stay tuned. (Perez photo by The Bakersfield Californian)

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You know you’ve reached middle age when you choose your walks or hikes based on which parks have the most benches and bathrooms.

 * ... MOMMA CAT: Have you ever noticed how many cats live, quite peacefully, at so many local retail shops about town? Go to almost any Home Depot, Lowe's or a privately run nursery like Bolles and you will find them, cats of all sizes, shapes and dispositions living harmoniously among the shoppers and inventory. That was the case at the Home Depot on Rosedale Highway where a sweet "momma cat," a black and white tabby, has lived for more than 10 years. That is until someone in management decided she had to leave. Thank goodness for "momma cat," an employee found her a home. One customer told KGET's Bob Price that the cat made her home in the paint department while employees paid for her food out of their own pockets. “During the day you’d usually find her asleep in the shelves somewhere,” the customer told Price. “But she would come out if you were wearing an orange apron. She would come out and let you pet her. But if you weren’t wearing an orange apron, forget it because she couldn’t trust you. But if you were wearing an orange apron she’d let you because she knew you were her friend.”

 * ... POT FOR MENTAL HEALTH?: Now that cannabis has been legalized in California, some folks are finding other uses for it other than getting a recreational high. According to The Wall Street Journal, more people are turning to cannabis for anxiety and depression, many of them dropping their standard anti-depressants to give pot a try. "Research has found that anxiety, depression and sleep problems are among the most common reasons why people use medical cannabis," the Journal said. Some studies have found CBD can alleviate social anxiety while other research is looking into marijuana as a remedy for chronic pain.

 * ... KERN NATURAL REFUGE: Some random shots from the Kern Natural Refuge compliments of my friend Pam Taylor.

 * ... MEMORIES: My thanks to the Kern County History Fans for these pictures of the old French Shop and what it is today.

The campaign to unseat Assemblyman Rudy Salas will top $1 million, new businesses grow out of the local farmer's markets and Imbibe Wine and Spirits offers Spanish cava at a bargain price

Friday, October 19, 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.

 * ... MENDES VERSUS SALAS: If you want to know how important the Democratic and

Republicans parties view the race for Assembly district 32, follow the money. Challenger Justin Mendes, a Republican who spent just $40,000 in the primary, expects to spend north of $1 million in his race to unseat Rep. Rudy Salas. Mendes says he expects Salas to spend twice that much.

  * ... SMALL BUSINESS: Did you know that our local farmer's markets also serve as business incubators? That's right, a number of local brick and mortar businesses started off as vendors at the Brimhall and Haggin Oaks farmers market, according to Jaclyn Allen, who runs the markets. Allen knows this all too well because she too started off selling nut products in the local markets, and now has branched out and is the owner of Hens Roost, the popular vegan and vegetarian restaurant on G Street. Allen said two nearby businesses, Rig City Coffee and Better Bowls, also started off at the farmer's markets before deciding to sign and lease and take it indoors.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Life is like a box of chocolates; an emotional chick can destroy one in under five minutes."

 * ... INDIAN CUISINE: Are you ready for a new entry into the Indian restaurant scene? It's about to happen with the opening of Viceroy, a new eatery on Stockdale Highway devoted to Indian cuisine.

 * ... SPANISH CAVA: My tip for the upcoming holidays: if you are looking for a good Spanish cava to entertain guests, consider the Campo Viejo cava available at Imbibe Wine and Spirits for just $10 a bottle when you buy six bottles of wine or champagne. Cheaper than its French counterparts but a solid bubbly.

* ... MEMORIES: You know you are a Bakersfield old timer if you remember when College Center opened in August o 1960 off Columbus. Photo courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Is Assemblyman Rudy Salas in trouble? The Casagrande family gets its 1936 truck back and Grimmway hands out 55 college scholarships

Friday June 8, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. 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.

 * ... RUDY SALAS: One of the biggest surprises on election night were the results in the state

Assembly District 32, where Bakersfield Democrat Rudy Salas finished second to Hanford city councilman Justin Mendes. Salas held onto Kern County easily, carrying 60 percent of the vote, but was overwhelmed outside the county by Mendes. The two will square off in the November general election, but clearly Salas has some work to do outside of Kern County.

 * ... DONNY YOUNGBLOOD: And perhaps the dirtiest race in Kern County was that waged by Justin Fleeman against Sheriff Donny Youngblood. It started ugly, got uglier and even ended on an ugly note when Fleeman told The Californian he was going back to the sheriff's department to be the "watchdog" on Youngblood. Speaking on my radio show, Youngblood was still reeling from the negative campaign and said his first order of business was to rebuild a culture of trust in the sheriff's department.

 * ... DIVIDED CALIFORNIA: This map showing how Californians voted in the governor's race tells the story of a divided state: liberal along the populated coasts and conservative inland.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "When girls have a great night out, they talk about it for months. When guys have a great night out, that night will never be spoken of."

 * ... GRIMMWAY: Hats off to Grimmway Farms which awarded 55 college scholarships to recent high school graduates as part of the Rod and Bob Grimm Memorial Scholarship Program. The program has awarded more than 600 scholarships totaling more than $1.65 million to high school seniors since it was created in 1997.

 * ... GOOD NEWS: I was glad to hear that the Casagrande family of downtown Bakersfield has been reunited with its 1936 Diamond T truck. The classic truck was stolen about a week ago but showed up in Buttonwillow with a few scratches but otherwise in good shape.

 * ... MEMORIES: An old 1930 postcard featuring the northbound Grapevine headed into the San Joaquin Valley.

Get ready for some more political musical chairs as all the usual suspects line up to run for the 16th state Senate seat left vacant by Michael Rubio

 * ... SENATE RACE: The jockeying for position for the vacant 16th State Senate seat makes for good political theater, but the inevitable musical chairs has become tedious to watch. Both 5th Supervisor Leticia Perez, and Assemblyman Rudy Salas, have said they are flattered by all those supporters urging them to run. Yet Perez has been in office just three-plus months and Salas has only been in the Assembly for two months. But ambition seems to have no bounds, and my guess is Perez is ready to cash in the county role and go back on the campaign trail with Dolores Huerta in tow for a chance of serving in Sacramento. And Salas? Who knows, but wouldn't it be nice if politicians just stayed put to serve at least a half, or a third of their elected term?

 * ... NORIEGA: Is there a better dinner in town than what the folks serve at the Noriega Hotel? It's no wonder that Noriega's won a James Beard Foundation award and has received a recent wave of positive national publicity. It's not a low caloric event, and you have to make reservations, but if you haven't been in a while, it is certainly worth a visit.

* ... DOWNTOWN: Local Republican activist Karen DeWalt is a downtown resident happy to hear that the Smart and Final on F Street will soon be remodeled, but wonder why other local businesses couldn't clean up their acts. "This is the only grocery store for the Westchester area and it would be greatly appreciated if the surrounding businesses would clean up their mess: Golden State Mall, the Dollar Store, Laundermat, Airport Bus. Smart and Final keeps its parking lot clean and presentable and we are fortunate to have them."

 * ... STARS THEATER: It's nice to see local non profits trying something other than a golf tournament to raise money. One of the more innovative fund raisers is being put on by the Bakersfield Music Theatre and Stars Music Theatre Restaurant out at the Kern County Gun Club, where they will hold a shoot, lunch and raffle on Saturday, April 20. The cost is $90 per person and it all starts at 7:30 a.m. Casll (6671) 325-6100 to register.

 * ... BROADWAY: Ready for a little Broadway in Bakersfield? The non-profit Lightwave Education is holding a fund raiser on Friday, March 13, at Stockdale Country Club featuring a couple of accomplished singers (Darnell Abraham and Nadine Risha) who will belt out some classic Broadway tunes. It starts with a reception at 6:30 p.m. with the music kicking off at 7:30 p.m. VIP tickets are $75, regular tickets are $50 and students get in for $25. Tickets are on sale at www.lightwaveeducation.org or you can call (661) 381-7644.