Chaos at Valley Plaza as thousands jostle to get a deal, RIP Lonnie Shelton and some great news coming out of Meadows Field for air travelers

Friday, July 13, 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 place. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com. 

 * ... MALL CHAOS: I am always surprised how far some people will go to save a buck. How about

standing in line with a couple thousand people, under a hot sun, with your toddler in tow to save money on a stuffed bear? Well it happened at the Build-A-Bear franchise at Valley Plaza where a couple thousand people showed up to take advantage of a "pay your age" deal. (If your child is two years old, the bear would cost $2) It was a nationwide marketing campaign that was so successful the company was forced to shut down company stores across the country, including the one at Valley Plaza and even one in London. And get this: in a scene reminiscent of Black Friday, fist fights broke out as people jostled for position at Valley Plaza. But in true American spirit, someone found a way to profit off the mess. A local Mexican restaurant, seeing the chaos at the mall, offered a "pay your age margarita special (if you were 21 years old, the drink cost $2.10).

 * ... MEADOWS FIELD: There is some good news coming out of Meadows Field. Thanks to a $500,000 grant from the Department of Transportation (arranged by House Majority Leader Kevin  McCarthy), it looks like we may get daily flight to Dallas, likely via American Airlines. According to county CAO Ryan Alsop, the county will use the money to create a package to incentivize a major airline to provide daily service. And the second bit of good news from CAO Ryan? Ryan said he is on the verge of striking a deal with Uber (and then Lyft) to service Meadows Field.

 * ... PICKLEBALL: Pickleball has taken Bakersfield by storm, and it now has eight new dedicated courts built by the North of the River Recreation district at Greenacres Park. And we are not alone: Bakersfield resident Adam Kahler sent me this poster he spotted in Driggs, Idaho.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "It’s not a successful weekend unless I’m bringing shame and dishonor to my family."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "They say couples should never go to bed angry. That’s why married people always look so tired."

 * ... RIP LONNIE SHELTON: Football High graduate Lonnie Hill, possibly the greatest basketball player ever to come out of Kern County, dies in Los Angeles at the age of 62. This Facebook post from a friend pretty much says it all: "Tonight one of the most wonderful men you could ever meet, Lonnie Shelton, passed away in Los Angeles after being in a medically induced coma for weeks suffering from high blood pressure. Lonnie was a best friend, college roommate at OSU, and an amazing college and professional basketball star. He won an NBA championship with the Seattle Sonics in 1978. There is so much more that could be said but I struggle for words. Tonight is truly one of saddest days in my life. He always finished our phone calls with 'Love you man.' I am blessed to know such a great kind man. My heart goes out to his family."

 * ... MEMORIES: How about this old picture from the Kern County of Old Facebook page?

Packs of wild dogs appear on the Kern River bike path, a local fraternity at CSUB shows some class and the annual 'elf on a shelf" craze catches hold

 * ... HEADS UP: For those of you who use the bike path to run, walk or ride, be aware there is a

pack of eight to 10 dogs (a mixture of pit bulls and some smaller mutts) that are chasing cyclists and runners on the stretch between Beach Park and Manor Drive. These dogs appear vicious and in a pack, they are dangerous.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m pretty certain everyone waiting to board at this gate is praying they’re not sitting next to me on this flight. Also, this airport burrito is pretty spicy."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "I have a secret lock button like Matt Lauer’s except it locks my family in the dining room until they finish their food."

 * ... CHRISTMAS ELF: The annual "elf on a shelf" Christmas tradition is starting to show up in workplaces across town. I spotted the first one at a hair salon (it was a gay elf teamed with a shirtless boyfriend elf) and yet a second one appeared at a local Starbucks.

 * ... ARMY-NAVY: My old pal Gene Bonas, a proud Navy veteran who knows his way around submarines, dropped me this note about the upcoming Army-Navy football game. Said Bonas:
"As a Navy veteran, I'll be cheering for both teams. And, you can bet that no one will be taking a knee during the national anthem at this game. This is the only game where everyone playing is willing to die for everyone watching, including those pampered millionaires and their asinine owners.  I'll certainly say a prayer and drink a toast to both teams and to the nights I can't remember and the shipmates I'll never forget when I served four years on submarines."

* ... GOOD FORM: A reader named L. Houston was having trouble using her cell phone to hail an Uber ride when a young man intervened. Using his own cell phone, the stranger set up an Uber ride and said he would absorb the charges. "He would not accept reimbursement," she said. "I didn’t get a name but he sure has my heart felt thanks from a nice little old lady."

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: And here is a special hats off to members of the Kappa Sigma fraternity at Cal State Bakersfield who donated their time to help the Assistance League during its Chez Noel Holiday Home Tour fund raiser. Said Dona Chertok: "We are so grateful to these fine gents."

 * ... FEEDBACK: George Russell wrote to respond to a piece about Rance Howard written by Nick Thomas in a recent edition of The Californian. "Writer Nick Thomas’ article about Rance Howard in Saturday’s paper brought to mind one of the last films Rance participated in. It was directed by Bakersfield transplant Tom Russell, writer, director and BYU film instructor. The movie 'Redemption' starred such notables as Margo Kidder, Ed Hermann, Rance Howard, and was produced by Firstlight Independent, with offices here in Bakersfield. Producers of the film included local support from Bill Nelson, Russell Judd and Mark Eddy. Great film based on a true Utah frontier story."

Drunk driving cases are down in cities where Uber operates, Sheri Horn-Bunk is recognized by the Taft Chamber and here's to a new U.S. citizen

 * ... UBER: It looks like ride-sharing services like Uber are helping reduce the number of drunk driving cases. That's the word from Mothers Against Drunk Driving which noted that cities that  allow Uber are showing a marked decline in driving while intoxicated.  As a report noted: "In California, drunk-driving crashes fell 6.5 percent among drivers under 30 in the markets where Uber operates following the launch of uberX in the state. That represents potentially 60 fewer drunk

driving crashes each month -- a total of 1,800 crashes avoided -- since July 2012. California is Uber’s home state and longest-running market and demonstrates for a possible similar reduction in other Uber markets." If you haven't downloaded the Uber app and tried it, you should. It is cheaper, faster and as reliable (or more so, some would argue) than traditional taxi cabs.

* ... CAFE MED: Cafe Med is one of our signature restaurants known for its unique Mediterranean cuisine, quality of service and lively happy hour. And this year it is celebrating its 25th year in business by offering customers a series of specials along with a grand celebration in June. According to owner Meir Brown, there will be specials on the 25th of every month thought the year. Said Brown: "It has been an amazing 25 years and we look forward to serving Bakersfield for many more!"

 * ... BURGERS: And speaking of food, a reader wrote to complain about the quality - and size - of the custom hamburgers at The Padre Hotel bar. "They are half the size they used to be," he told me. So I took it upon myself to check out the complaint and I can assure you the Padre burger is as delicious - and as large - as ever. Maybe the cook had a bad day when the reader dined there, but I list the hotel's Blue Truffle burger as one of the best burgers in town, along with the Hudson burger from Muertos Kitchen and Lounge and the Sonny burger from downtown Mexicali. (file photo of the Hudson and the Sonny burger)

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: This quote was attributed to Will Rogers: "When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.”

 * ... GOOD FORM: Congratulations to my friend Juan Ventimiglia, a local substitute teacher soon to be credentialed in English, who last week became a U.S. citizen. With all the debate and controversy over immigration, it's heart warming to see someone like Ventimiglia talk with youthful wonder about the legal process he went through to become a citizen. The 29-year-old was born in Argentina but came to the United States with his mother, Monica Ayuso, who was pursuing a Ph.D. in English, at the age of two. He is a graduate of CSUB. In this case, Argentina's loss in our gain.

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: It was good to hear that the Taft Chamber of Commerce is recognizing Sheri Horn-Bunk as its Woman of the Year for 2016. The ever energetic Horn-Bunk is director of the Taft College Foundation and is one of the brains behind the successful West Kern Petroleum Summit that is held on the college campus. Kudos also go to Bob Colton for being named Businessman of the Year and Tanner Melton who will be given the Youth Leadership Award.