Long term exposure to smoke proves harmful to your skin, Samuel Van Kopp addresses the chaos of Afghanistan and celebrating the Midway Palm

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.

 * ... SMOKE DANGER: Have you ever thought about how your skin might react to all the smoke in the air from the California fires? Well one researcher at The University of California San Francisco did, and what Dr. Maria Wei and her team learned is not good news for anyone who lives and breathes wildfire

smoke. The New York Times said the "eczema and wildfire study focused on that disease because afflicted people have an impaired skin barrier, meaning they would be more likely to have a reaction to smoke." The study noted that those living in smoky areas went to see dermatologists more often and about half those surveyed suffered from eczema. Retailers have discovered the problem, but the researchers warned people to be wary of topical marketed as providing "pollution protection."

 * ... AFGHAN PULLOUT: Few people can appreciate the chaotic scene at the Kabal airport more than the members of the U.S. military who served there, along with Afghan allies. And few things put the danger of the operation in perspective than the suicide bombs that took the lives of 12 Marines on Thursday. For a fuller perspective of how some of our servicemen and women view the situation on the ground, go to Spotify to listen to my interview with former 1st Lt. Samuel Van Kopp, a Bakersfield native who suffered traumatic brain injury during a 2012 suicide bombing. Von Kopp argued we have a moral obligator to airlift to safety all the Afghan people who aided the United States, whether they were interpreters, cooks, drivers or clerks at U.S. installations. To do anything less, Van Kopp said, would be to invite other allies - in Taiwan, Japan and across the world - to doubt U.S. promises of mutual aid. Listen to the Bakersfield Observed podcast with Van Kopp on Spotify or pick it up on Kern Radio.

Bakersfield's Samuel Van Kopp, a veteran of the Afghan war, talks about the chaos of the withdrawal and our responsibility to those who helped ... https://tinyurl.com/pt9fu9se

* ... CHICK-FIL-A: The lone Chick-fil-A in Bakersfield, located at the corner of California and Stockdale, is closing for two months for a major kitchen remodel. A second Chick-fil-A is planned for Rosedale Highway, in the old Pier 1 building, but there is not exact date on when that will open.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I hate when your kid needs help with their homework and you have to try and learn math in 10 minutes." 

 * ... MIDWAY PALM: If you have ever driven on Highway 99 you may have missed the significance of a lone palm tree standing in the median near Madera. Located just south of Avenue 11 just outside the city limits of Madera, the Midway Palm denotes the halfway point between the border with Mexico and Oregon. The Midway Palm represenst Southern California whereas the Midway Pine is intended to represent Northern California.

* ... MEMORIES: I spotted this old picture on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. Enjoy.

Hurricane Maria causes a nationwide shortage of saline IV bags, and add the names Samuel Van Kopp and Jim Damian to the list of up and coming young people locally

* ... MEDICAL SHORTAGE: If you or a loved one receive regular intravenous injections, beware that there is a national shortage of the saline IV bags used to inject drugs in hospital and outpatient

settings. It turns out there are only a few providers nationally, and one of them was located in Puerto Rico owned by Baxter International. Hurricane Maria almost destroyed the Baxter facility, and a second manufacturer in Orange County has had quality control issues. That has left doctors and hospitals across Kern County scrambling to find new suppliers. The Food and Drug Administration is allowing Baxter to import saline and other IV bags from its other facilities in Australia and Ireland until the shortage ends.

 * ... NEW LAWS: Of all the new California laws that went into effect this year, more than a few have me scratching my head. To wit: we now have a third gender choice on our California driver's license: "non binary" which lives somewhere between male or female. Yet another law says Californians can no longer buy dogs or cats on installment plans (huh?) and a third forbids companies from asking prospective employees if they have a criminal record. To what end?

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Yes you impress me. But so do plants that can go two weeks without water."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "It's so cold in the upper half of the USA today that politicians will put their hands in their own pockets."

 * ... VAN KOPP: Last week I threw out some names of promising young people who I hope will consider running for office here, be it the City Council or a local school board. A friend reached out and said I had overlooked one important person: Samuel Van Kopp, a Bakersfield High and West Point graduate who was gravely injured in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2012. He was right. Van Kopp, 29, has worked for Rep. Kevin McCarthy and is now studying for his law degree. Thoughtful, witty and razor sharp, he personifies the type of leadership that this community needs to serve its citizens.

 * ... JIM DAMIAN: And add Jim Damian to that list as well. The founder and chief executive officer of Stria technology company, Damian is active in local organizations and has the knowledge, commitment and progressive attitude that would serve our community well.

 * ... MEMORIES: I was pursuing one of my favorite websites (the Facebook page "Kern County of Old") and found a reference to an old watering hole on Edison Highway called "Chet's Club." The entry had this to say about Chet's Club: "Located next door to the Lucky Spot, it was a well known 'watering hole' for Kern residents. The founder and early owner was Chester Earl 'Chet' Thompson (1902-1966). Chet was the biological father for my many, many year friend and Kern County of Old member, Jerry Frederick."

Expedia ranks the most annoying things about flying (seat kickers, crying children, arm rest hogs etc), Stinson's celebrates its anniversary by giving away $70,000 and lamenting our trash filled streets

 * ... FLYING ETIQUETTE: Would you pay extra for a seat on an airplane in a designated "quiet zone?" It turns out a lot of folks would, anything to get away from pesky young children to seat mates who talk too much. That is one of the conclusions of Expedia's annual survey of plane travel, which

ranked the most annoying things about flying. The top things that bug us about flying include rear seat kickers, inattentive parents, aromatic (smelly or overly perfumed) passengers, the audio insensitive, the boozer, the chatty Cathy, the queue jumper, the seat back guy and finally the arm rest hog.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "How to get a woman mad in two easy steps: Take a picture of her and don't show it to her."

 * ... VAN KOPP: Welcome back to town 29-year-old Samuel Van Kopp, the Bakersfield High graduate who went on to West Point only to be gravely injured in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan in 2012. Van Kopp was a platoon leader when a suicide bomber approached and blew himself up, killing two soldiers and leaving Van Kopp with serious brain trauma. My interview with him, in which he questioned the politically driven rules of engagement for troops on the ground, is posted on Kernradio.com. Van Kopp has finished his first year of law school at Georgetown and his working this summer at the law firm of Klein Denatale and Goldner.

 * ... FOODIE: The new QwikCafe on 18th Street, brought to you by the owners of Sequoia Sandwich Co., is off to a good start and is starting to expand its offerings. A few of my favorites: a new "protein box" featuring hardboiled eggs, roast turkey, gouda or brie cheese, humus, veggies and grapes, or the "lite lunch premium" with half a roast turkey sandwich with a beet or kale-quinoa salad. Two of the more popular new offerings include the beef dip on baguette and a tuna melt panini.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to Stinson Stationers, the long-time office and furniture retailer that is celebrating 70 years in business. And in true Stinson's style, owner Ben Stinson III says the company will give away $70,000 in merchandise to needy local non-profits. To apply, go to Stinsons.com and click on the non-profit link. Applications are due June 15.

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: And here is some more good form compliments of reader Denise Watson: "One of the best things about shopping at the new Grocery Outlet Store on Brimhall is the veteran parking spot…nothing is better than seeing the surprise and pride on the face of a veteran when they pull into the parking lot and see that there is a parking spot reserved especially for them.  Even better when another customer notices them and says, 'Thank you for your service.' Pride, gratitude, appreciation and honor in the parking lot of a grocery store – now that is fantastic!"

 * ... TRASH: I was driving through the littered streets of downtown Bakersfield on Sunday when I thought about the "trash survey" that Mayor Karen Goh conducted in which she scored us between 1 and 2, ratings that assume our community is only slightly littered. I am all for the aspirational, but our city is a mess, and a casual drive through town reveals a culture that views our streets as its personal trash cans. How about a public campaign to take pride in our community?

West Point graduate gravely injured in Afghan suicide bombing shares his story on First Look, and Bakersfield's beleaguered housing market starts to show signs of life

 * … HOUSING: There is some good news about our local housing market. According to appraiser Gary Crabtree, last year was a "watershed" year with the median price jumping from $162,000 to $208,00 by the end of the year. Said the Crabtree Report: "Based upon a 12 month running average, the citywide appreciation rate is 30 percent or 2.4 percent per month.  Housing supply is increasing

with the total current listings on the market at 930 or 81 percent above the same period last year." In addition, the volume of sales decreased by 8.5 percent year over year. "Overall, the market is defined as in recovery with a trend towards declining price increases due to increasing inventory, interest rates and housing affordability."

 * … VAN KOPP: I had a chance to catch up with Lt. Samuel Van Kopp, the 26-year-old Bakersfield High and West Point graduate who was gravely injured in Afghanistan during a 2012 suicide bombing. Van Kopp still has a ball bearing lodged in his head and is living in the residential facility at Walter Reed Hospital. He will learn in a few months if he is fit to remain in the Army or serve on the staff of Rep. Kevin McCarthy under a program for wounded soldiers. Van Kopp appeared with me on First Look with Scott Cox on KERN NewsTalk 1180, talking frankly and eloquently about the bombing that injured him and killed two members of his platoon. When asked how he reacts when people call him a "hero," he quietly (and humbly) reminded me that there are many others who have served longer and suffered more. This is an impressive young man who is a testament to the good that lives in this community. He has two younger brothers, one who graduated from Dartmouth College and the other who is enrolled at West Point. (picture of Van Kopp in the First Look studios with me)

 * … RIP BARBARA: Most of you probably never knew Barbara Perry, who lost a five year battle with cancer this week. She was not famous or flashy or important in the way society bestows celebrity on some people, and that was perfectly fine with her. Barbara didn't need recognition to be happy; instead, like most of us who call Bakersfield home, she led a quiet life, devoted to her family and friends. But it was an exemplary life and her presence brightened everyone she came into contact with. I met Barbara a decade ago out at the Kern County Gun Club, where Barbara and husband Johnny would often hold court during skeet tournaments, doing all the work that made folks from out of town feel so welcome. She would cook and clean and help manage the club while Johnny put his impressive mechanical skills to work on the clay target machines. Born in Texas and one of 11 children, Barbara could be tough as nails but her true character was a cocktail of generosity, kindness and extreme wit. Life is better when people like Barbara Perry come into your life. Thank you, Barbara, for sharing your grace with me.

 * … SPORTSMANSHIP: Another reader post on sportsmanship at youth baseball games. From Stephanie Apsit: "Yes, you can be an example of poor sportsmanship by yelling cruel comments to young children trying to do their best for their team or you can be an example of supportive sportsmanship and offer kind and accepting comments to these young vulnerable children. Let's be the ones who educate our children by offering encouragement and care to them, thereby teaching them to also be kind and caring towards one another."

Local West Point graduate, gravely wounded in Afghanistan, shows us all what good form looks like, and Lili Marsh heads to The Mark to run the dining and banquet operations

 * … ROLE MODEL: I could not think of a better way to start the year than with this incredible story compliments of readers Kristi and Mitch Townsend. It turns out the Townsends had donated $100 to help in the recovery of Samuel Van Kopp, the young Bakersfield army officer and West Point graduate

who suffered a grave head wound in Afghanistan. Van Kopp survived the September, 2012, injury and is doing well, so much that he sent the $100 check back to the Townsends with this uplifting note: "I have recuperated to the extent that I do not need the years of private therapy I had anticipated," he wrote. "I return to you, therefore, your donation plus years of interest so that you may grace a charity of greater need. Thank you, and God bless." (Facebook photo of Van Kopp on left)

 * … THE MARK: Lili Marsh, the longtime director of The Petroleum Club, is leaving for a new job at The Mark downtown. Marsh will be the front house operations manager in charge of the banquet meeting spaces and the dining room at the 19th Street eatery, which has quickly come to be known as one of the "it" places to eat downtown. In addition to her long association with the Petroleum Club, Marsh is deeply involved in Honor Flight, the effort to fly World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the war memorials.

 * … DOORS SHUT: The new year has been ushered in with the closing of some familiar local businesses. Anna's Cards and Gifts, one of the original tenants of The Marketplace, is shutting its doors after serving residents in the Southwest for many years. That is the third tenant of The Marketplace to close, following Baskin Robbins and Russo's Books. Meanwhile downtown, a short-lived experiment with a local cooking studio has come to an end with the shuttering of Sustenance 101 next to Mama Roomba's Caribbean restaurant on Eye Street. The space occupied by Sustenance has been completely renovated and will likely have little trouble attracting a new tenant.

 * … CROSS RACING: Hats off to local cycling enthusiast Sam Ames for putting on a grand show out at Hart Park this weekend when Bakersfield hosted the NorCal versus SoCal cycle cross racing championships. The crowds were large and Hart Park provided a beautiful backdrop for this annual championship.

* … CYCLISTS: This note comes from a reader named A. Thompson: "I have been cycling for probably over 40 years. I would expect that the mob of Tuesday riders this week would have learned that it is necessary to announce one’s imminent passing of a slower cyclist from behind at a high rate of speed. They pretty much startled me when they passed. The riders took up most of their side of Alfred Harrell Highway, down by the fire station. It is no wonder that the public has such a dim view of cyclists. This same thing happened to me several times right before the Spooktacular, by several duos of out of town riders, as evidenced by their jerseys. I hope that these riders survive to be able to ride a bike when they pass 65 years of age."

Local West Point graduate is gravely wounded in a suicide attack in Afghanistan and Bakersfield gets ready for the city's most celebrated cooking show, Savor Bakersfield

* ... VAN KOPP: My heart goes out to the family of Samuel Van Kopp, a standout graduate of Bakersfield High School who has been gravely wounded in Afghanistan. His father, local veterinarian Cliff Van Kopp, says his son was hit by shrapnel when a suicide bomber detonated a bomb. Friends say Samuel is the classic high achiever: No. 10 in his class where he excelled at debate and forensics, and on to West Point along with other bright men and women. His Facebook page is testimony to youth, hope, love, friendship and promise. Keep this family in your thoughts. (photos from Van Kopp's Facebook page)

 * ... COOKING SHOW: Our town's most celebrated cooking show - Savor Bakersfield - is coming up on Tuesday, November 13, at Rabobank Arena. This is always a hugely popular event that features boutique shopping, local food and an unforgettable cooking show featuring Dash magazine chef Jon Ashton. There will be food from more than 10 local restaurants including The Padre Hotel, Chef's Choice Noodle Bar,  Johnny Rockets, the Red Pepper, Prime Cut, the Garden Spot and others. Tickets are just $20 (there are discounts for early registration) and there will be raffle drawings throughout the show, including a grand prize of a Kenmore Elite refrigerator freezer. Tickets are available at Rabobank or by phone at (800) 745-3000 and at ticketmaster.com. Sponsors include Smart and Final and 3-Way Chevrolet.

* ... LARRY CARR: The annual Larry Carr Memorial golf tournament to benefit the Memorial Hospital Foundation is being held today (Friday), but there's more to the backstory on this long-held charity event. Before it was named for the late Memorial president Larry Carr, it was called the Buck Owens tournament to support the Buck Owens Foundation.  Said current Memorial CEO Jon Van Boening: "The two best stories of these tournaments were John Wayne getting drunk every tournament at the BCC bar and Johnny Bench claiming he contracted Valley Fever attending one of the tournaments. Both probably true but who knows? When the Buck Owens Foundation decided to stop doing the tournament I picked up the ball and along with John Brock Jr. and Doug Findley (who at that time was partners in Advanced Beverage), started Club Out Cancer to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The ACS tournament existed for 25 years and when that charity decided to get out of golf I took the core of that committee and started the Larry Carr Memorial for Bakersfield Memorial Hospital.  Proceeds from this year's tournament are allocated towards the capital campaign to build a new children’s emergency pavilion at the hospital. "

 * ... PARTY SCHOOLS: If you're a parent with a kid in college, you might be interested in Playboy's annual list of the top party schools. These lists are purely subjective, of course, but it's always interesting to see who makes the cut. The top party school? According to Playboy it's the University of Virginia, followed by the University of Southern California, Florida, Texas, Wisconsin, Georgia, Tulane, Texas Christian and Ohio State.

 * .... SPOTTED: This bit of bad form comes from reader Dee Rhodes. "I was driving south on Highway 99 just a little after lunch today, and took the Golden State Avenue off ramp to come back into town. I came up behind a slow moving Cal Trans utility truck and trailer. As I was about to go around them, the driver and passenger each threw out their lunch wrappers, bags and empty soda cups onto Golden State Avenue.  I thought I had pretty much seen it all ."

  * ... PTSD: Local Rotary Clubs are partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to sponsor a special program on post traumatic stress disorder. The conference will be held next Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 pm. at the Good Samaritan Hospital on White Lane. It is open to the public and free. The program is specifically designed for veterans, first responders, their families and virtually anyone else. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Patrice Maniaci at namikernpatrice@gmail.com or (661) 333-5484.