California brings back the mask mandate but don't expect compliance in Kern County, a son of Bakersfield is running for office in Texas and a new study finds that 75 percent of all coronavirus deaths occurred with the elderly

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. 

 * ... MASKS ARE BACK: So are you ready to wear a mask again indoors? Are you willing to comply with a new state mandate that requires wearing a mask indoors regardless of your vaccination status? Well if you live in Kern County, the answer likely will be a resounding "no!" In the past, local authorities have

made it clear they won't do the state's dirty work in enforcing the mask mandate, and given our reputation for bucking the mandates of Sacramento, I bet very few local businesses will comply. Some of the most popular restaurants in town will simply ignore the new rule and there will be no consequences. Meanwhile in other parts of the state the mask mandate will be rigorously enforced, but don't expect to see much of a change here.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD LOVE: Bakersfield got some love recently when The New York Times published an article highlighting our lower cost of living and the influx of younger couples looking for affordable housing. The piece mentioned the cost of housing, urban development, downtown development and geography as reasons why Bakersfield remains a destination for Californians desperate to find affordability and a lifestyle conducive to all ages. You never know where these stories from out of town media will go, but this one was no doubt helped because the writer, Jill Cowen, worked at The Californian as an intern a decade ago and is well versed on our lifestyle.

 * ... ELDERLY AT RISK: After all the politically inspired debate about the coronavirus, and resistance to the idea of wearing masks, we come to find that the most vunlerable are those age 65 and older. That's according to a report in The New York Times that said we are on the cusp of hitting 800,000 deaths nationwide due to the virus. But when you look at the numbers more closely, you see fully 75 percent of those who died were 65 and older. That means 600,000 of the 800,000 deaths are among the most vulnerable of the population. Wearing a mask, then, is more about protecting the older population if not yourself. Said the Times: "Seventy-five percent of people who have died of the virus in the United States — or about 600,000 of the nearly 800,000 who have perished so far — have been 65 or older. One in 100 older Americans has died from the virus. For people younger than 65, that ratio is closer to 1 in 1,400.

The heightened risk for older people has dominated life for many, partly as friends and family try to protect them. “You get kind of forgotten,” said Pat Hayashi, 65, of San Francisco. “In the pandemic, the isolation and the loneliness got worse. We lost our freedom and we lost our services.”

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "So apparently, telling a woman 'I wanna rock your body' makes women happy in the USA and scared in Afghanistan."

 * ... ROB MCCARTHY: A former Bakersfield resident whose family moved to Texas is running for a seat in the Texas legislature. Rob McCarthy, son of Rob and Judi McCarthy, announced his bid to run for Texas House District 47 as a Republican. The district includes the cities of Austin, Bee Case, Lakeway and western Travis County. McCarthy is a graduate of Garces Memorial High School and USC and later served as a senior aide to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. After earning his MBA McCarthy worked as business development director for Lightspeed Systems, a family owned educational software business. Fed up with California's high taxes and burdensome regulations, Rob and Judi McCarthy left California more than five years ago and moved the company to Austin. Judi McCarthy was one of the founders of the Women's and Girl's Fund, a philanthropic arm of the Kern Community Foundation that funds programs to help women in need.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out the scenes from old Bakersfield back in the day, compliments of the Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans Facebook pages.

The New York Times focuses on our almond industry, Raising Cane's is coming to town, a lost Stockdale High School ring and some good form about town

Monday, August 20, 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. 

 * ... BEE SHORTAGE: The New York Times Sunday magazine devoted a large spread to our Central Valley,

California's $7.6 billion almond industry and the 30 billion bees (and hundreds of bee keepers) who keep the trees pollinated. The concern: the steady decline of bee populations that scientists believe is caused by a parasite. "Since 2006," the Times reported, "annual winter losses in colonies have averaged more than 28 percent, nearly double the historical winter mortality rate of 15 percent." The industry is in peril and the industry is reacting. "Agricultural entities - including California's Almond Board - pour money into pollinator research, but they are simultaneously anticipating the end of bees. There was talk about a new variety of almond tree that is self-pollinating. One almond grower and distributor said a lot of new orchards were buying the self pollinating plants, but no one could tell if the trees were actually self pollinating or if the bees from neighboring orchards were slipping into their blooms." This is a huge largely untold story. outside of farming circles. Stay tuned. (photos courtesy of The New York Times)

 * .. RAISING CANE'S: The fact that a new fast food restaurant opens in town is hardly news, but it is if Raising Cane's is coming to a block near you. Known for its chicken tenders and sides and spices, Raising Cane's is opening on Coffee Road just a few blocks north of Rosedale Highway and I predict will be a huge hit in a town that loves its fast food. It is now advertising for employees for a  early 2019 opening.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m happy my date didn’t snoop in my medicine cabinet but sad I spent an hour setting up 40 ping pong balls in there for nothing."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "Had another panic attack this morning or as I like to call it, waking up."

 * ... STOCKDALE HIGH: Did you graduate from Stockdale High School in 1995 and are missing your senior ring? I ran into this on Facebook: "(TO ANYONE WHO WENT TO STOCKDALE HIGH SCHOOL IN 1995...) Do you know the name of the person who played basketball that was #22 and ran track that did the high jump that possibly was the central section champion?? We have found your ring..."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Here is a salute to all of those people among us who take it upon themselves to try to keep our community clean. This is from Jim Pappe a local cyclist: "Cycling friends, meet Lisa. I've seen her for several years cleaning up the trash thrown out on Alfred Harrell Highway by vehicles and, today, cyclists. I stopped and chatted with her enough to thank her, and to apologize for one of our own cyclist's selfish behavior. Please act responsibly when you are cycling and pocket your tubes and CO2 cartridges after fixing your flat. And thank Lisa when you see her."

 * ... MEMORIES: A then and now look at the Tejon Pass.

Two initiatives may go on the November ballot in Colorado to curtail fracking, and The New York Times accepts its first advertising for medical marijuana

 * … FRACKING: Keep an eye on a movement in Colorado to restrict hydraulic

fracturing, the oil and gas extraction method that has led to a boom in production across the country, including here in Kern County. There may be two initiatives on the November ballot there, one requiring all new oil and gas wells to be set back 2,000 feet from a school or home, and the other giving cities more control over drilling. Like here in Kern County, fracking has helped create thousands of jobs and doubled the number of active wells in the last decade and any local or statewide restrictions could have a serious negative impact on the local economy.

 * … MARIJUANA: A sure sign of the times appeared in the Sunday edition of The New York Times, when the paper ran its first advertising ever for medicinal marijuana. This comes after the state legalized marijuana to be prescribed for medical conditions. The ad was for a mobile app called Leafly, which bills itself as the “Yelp for marijuana” and allows users to browse a catalog of cannabis products and find and review medical marijuana dispensaries in their area. The newspaper made headlines earlier when it ran a series of editorials calling on the federal government to repeal its ban on cannabis.

 * … BRICKS: Smart move by the city of Bakersfield to reverse itself and say the donated bricks at Centennial Plaza will not be dug up and trashed. The reasoning for removing the bricks - that they might pose a hazard to walkers because they had worn unevenly - was always curious to me. If that were the case, where is the rush to replace or repair all the sidewalks around town that are in such disrepair?

* … SPOTTED: I loved this Facebook post from Californian writer Steven Mayer: "If Bakersfield were my wife, I would divorce her annually between June and September and run off with my mistresses, Avila, Pismo and Shelly."

 * … LA COSTA: One of my favorite restaurants in town, La Costa Mariscos on 21st Street, is moving to the iconic Ice House. Owner Maria Coward told me customers can expect the same intimate experience and quality food that the restaurant has been serving since 1992. The grand opening will happen at the end of this month.

* …. KUDOS: Jannie Helton wrote to commend Orchard Supply and Hardware (OSH) on their outstanding customer service. "It is very frustrating shopping at our local stores and not finding anyone on the floor to help in locating items. I recently shopped at OSH and was hit with a WELCOME to OSH just as I walked in the store, not to mention several employees on the floor asking if I needed help without my asking. The smiles and knowledge of their employees was outstanding. Good customer service is really rare. This store was outstanding. Thank you OSH for making my shopping experience a very pleasant one. You have a customer for life and I will certainly recommend you."

  * … SABRINA: Odd story out of Sacramento where a former KBAK (29) TV anchor has been arrested on shoplifting charges. Sabrina Rodriguez, who spent two years at KBAK and is now an anchor with Fox 40, was charged with helping shoplift more than $2,500 worth of purses from a Coach outlet. Her fiancé, Nicholas Gray was also arrested on more serious arson and drug charges.

New York writer revels in the eccentricities of Bakersfield and looking back at the 1952 great earthquake

* ...  COUNTRY MUSIC: If you missed it, The New York Times ran a nice feature on Bakersfield and the famous "Bakersfield Sound" recently, highlighting the late Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and of course our Basque eateries. The writer stayed in The Padre Hotel, ate at the Arizona Cafe, went to Trout's and the Crystal Palace and stopped by Ethel's Old Corral Cafe. His other recommendations: Noriega's, Los Tacos de Huicho and the Kern County Museum. Writer Ethan Hauser noted "the Bakersfield sound grew out of a reaction to the polished and lifeless tunes coming out of Nashville. Thus the country music born here in the 50s and 60s, wafting from the honky-tonks and recording studios, was more stripped down, a little louder, abetted by the punch of electric guitars, the lurch and sway of rockabilly."

* ... REUNION: Coldwell Banker Realtor Dutch Toews dropped me a note to tell me about the 50 year reunion of the Delano High School class of 1962. It is set for Saturday, October 13 and will feature "the same band that played for us in 1962, Al Garcia and The Rhythm Kings. Three of the original seven members are still playing." It will also celebrate the school's 100-yeark anniversary and all classes from 1959 through 1965 are invited. It will be held at the DoubleTree in Bakersfield and the cost is $50 per person. Contact Dutch at (661) 616-3424 or Tom and Donna Roberts at (661) 821-4226.

* ... EARTHQUAKE: In 1952, Bakersfield and Tehachapi were hit by a series of earthquakes and aftershocks that changed the face of those cities forever. In the 60th anniversary year, Kern County Library will present an historical retrospective with photo displays, archival materials, and documents.  On May 5 the Beale Library will offer a program showcasing the earthquakes visual and written history.  However, one more element is needed at the program - the oral histories and human stories. If you want to add your voice to the May 5 program, call Andie Apple, head of Public Services, at (661) 868-0723. (photos courtesy of the Kern County Museum,)

 * ... TRAINS: Correspondent Bill Deaver weighed in on the miniature train that used to ferry children around Hart Park. Said Bill: "I was born at Mercy Hospital in 1935, and my maternal grandfather, Henry Mack, was a Santa Fe official in Bakersfield. One of the highlights of growing up in those days was riding that little train in Hart Park. That, and riding trains between Bakersfield and Madera where we lived during the war sparked a life-long love of trains that eventually led to an appointment as a special assistant to the Federal Railroad Administrator in Washington during the early days of the Reagan Administration, which led to other jobs in that fascinating city during the Reagan and George Bush administration."

 * ... NEW BUSINESS: It's always good to hear of a new business opening locally, and the latest is Music Together, a downtown-based center that will offer early childhood music and movement programs during a 10-week semester. Pyper Von Normann, who used to be a massage therapist, is the new director of the Yellow House Music Together program. The classes involve both children and parents in singing, chanting, moving, listening and other activities. The "yellow house" is at 1905 17th Street. Call Pyper with questions at (661) 979-0157.

 * ... THEATER: The Bakersfield Music Theater will hold its second annual wine tasting fundraiser at the Stars Theatre Restaurant on Chester Avenue. The event is set for March 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $60 per person or $120 a couple. Call (661) 325-6100 for tickets.

Recycling Land for Green Energy Ideas

 Interesting read in the New York Times today (read the entire story here) on how thousands of acres of once prime San Joaquin Valley farmland is being converted to a huge solar energy farm. The project is up the Valley near Lemoore. The Times said farmers and the Westlands Water District, a public agency, had agreed to provide the land for what will be one of the world's largest solar energy complexes. (photo courtesy of the New York Times)