Bakersfield welcomes home the college kids who flock to Basque eateries, the pet explosion has forced the county to begin euthanizing puppies and a local cardiologist shares some sentiments for the holiday

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.

 

 * ... A NOTE FROM BRIJ: Dr. Brij Bhambi is many things: a world class cardiologist, owner of

Bakersfield Heart Hospital, runner, philanthropist and not to be forgotten, a grateful immigrant. From his vantage point as a successful immigrant and community pillar, his thoughts on our world and the politics of the day have always intrigued me. And his annual Thanksgiving message did not disappoint, reminding us all that Thanksgiving is "a 'carve out' when we take time away from complaints and live in the moment. It is a privileged day ... Let this day remind us that we can live the moment now, the moment next, and build a chain of moments that becomes a life of happiness. We can triumph over challenges and yet be happy." A chain of moments that becomes a life of happiness. Works for me.

 * ... HAPPY THANKSGIVING: If it's the Thanksgiving weekend in Bakersfield you can bet the restaurants, bars and pubs will be jammed with many of our grown children who return home for the holidays. It's one of the joys of the season, running into kids who now attend Cal Poly or Arizona or Texas Christian or UCLA. You can find them at their favorite haunts, places like Luigi's, Woolgrower's, Uricchio's, Pyrenees Cafe, Narducci's,  Dewar's or any other place that gives them a taste of home. 

 * ... BEST AIRPORTS: Now that we are in the holiday travel season it's time to look at newly released on-time ratings for airports. Given San Francisco's dismal reputation, it might surprise you that its airport ranked the best among larger airports and nearby Sacramento headed the list off midsize airports. According to the Wall Street Journal, the worst performing large airport was in Newark, N.J., and La Guardia in New York. San Francisco and Minneapolis have the highest domestic ticket rices in the country. Airports in Florida, which fared poorly in the survey because of congested airspace, had the best prices.

 * ... ELECTIONS: With almost all the votes counted we have some winners in some tight races. At the top of the ticket, Congressman David Valadao survived a challenge from Democrat Rudy Salas, holding onto his seat for another term. Valadao becomes the only member of Congress to vote for Trump's impeachment to return to office, and it was one of the most expensive congressional races in the nation. Some other notable races:

 a) Measure K, the sales tax increase on the county ballot, survived thanks to a well orchestrated and effective campaign by chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and Sheriff Donny Youngblood. The fact that the tax passed is remarkable, given how conservative our county is, and it was pushed over the top by the traveling road show of Alsop/Zimmer and Youngblood, perhaps three of the most trusted public officials in the county.

 b) Jeff Flores will succeed Mike Maggard as 3rd District Supervisor, narrowly defeating retired highway patrolman Brian Smith. Interestingly, Smith admitted late in the race he was an election denier and one has to wonder, given how close the race was, if just enough voters were repelled by this that it tipped the race in Flores favor. Some believe Smith shot himself in the foot when running against a fellow conservative who did not fall in line with Trump's list.

c) Taft Dr. Jasmeet Bains had little trouble turning back Supervisor Leticia Perez for a seat in the State Assembly.

 * ... EUTHANIZING PETS: We have some terrible news to report concerning a recent spike in the number of dogs and cats - and puppies as well - that are being euthanized in Kern County because of the explosion of pets. During the pandemic, with people stuck at home, there was a rush on pet adoptions and Kern County came close to becoming a "no kill" shelter. But that was then, and today so many dogs and cats are being returned or simply let loose, that county animal control officials say they must resort to euthanizing puppies to keep up.

 * ... MORE CRIME: Narducci's has become the latest business to suffer from a wave of crime across the city. Over the weekend someone broke into the famous Basque bar and stole cash register machines and other items.

 * ... SOUND WALLS: Downtown residents who live south of 24th Street are getting sound walls at the end of their cue-de-sacs. The long promised walls, which will block some sound of rushing traffic while providing a better view, started going up this week and the work should be completed in a few weeks.

 * ... MEMORIES: Take a look at this picture, at the intersection of North Chester and Washington Avenue, back in the day. This photo is courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. The second photo comes from the same group and may be one of the best pictures of the old clock tower and the nearby Haberfelde Building.

We open the airways to talk about race in America, Jacquie Sullivan decides not to seek another term on the City Council, and Uricchio's Trattoria and Pyrenees Cafe get ready to reopen for table service

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 person or organization.

 * ... RACE AND KERN COUNTY:  Michael Bowers remembers being questioned by police as a young man. Keith Wolaridge is seized by utter fear when he spots he is being followed by a police

car. Leticia Perez looks at birth rates, demographics and civic engagement and reminds us that Kern County's future will look far different than its past. And Sheriff Donny Youngblood pulls no punches in condemning the officers involved in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. These are just a smattering of the comments made over two days when I hosted these four people for a conversation on race on The Richard Beene Show (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM). Check out these links to my conversations with Bowers and Wolaridge, and with Perez and Youngblood.

 * ... JACQUIE SULLIVAN: Jacquie Sullivan will not be seeking reelection, ending a long 25 career on the Bakersfield City Council. She becomes the second council person to say they won't seek a new term, joining Ward 1's Willie Rivera who made a similar announcement last week. It's been a while since two open seats appeared on the ballot, and it could dramatically alter the coalitions on the council. Meanwhile, fellow Councilman Bruce Freeman said he would seek another term.

 * ... STEVE TEGLIA: Breaking news here from Lois Henry, chief executive officer of SJVWATER.ORG, a non profit devoting to covering California Water issues: Steve Teglia, a long time Assistant City Manager of the City of Bakersfield, has formally taken over the reins of the Kern Delta Water District. He was appointed to the position to replace retiring Mark Mulkay on May 16 and officially took over on Monday, June 1. “This is a great move for Kern Delta and we expect Mr. Teglia to lead this district into the future,” Mulkay wrote in an email Tuesday. “I hope that the water community will accept Mr. Teglia and treat him with the patience and professionalism in which I have been for the past 27 years.” Mulkay will continue working for Kern Delta as its Water Resources Manager, according to the email.

 * ... PYRENEES: The iconic Pyrenees Cafe in old town Kern will be reopening this weekend, and you can bet its legions of fans will make it a "standing room only" event. Pyrenees owners Rod and Julie Crawford said they spent the past month doing improvements and making sure the restaurant meets health and safety guidelines.

 * ... URICCHIO'S TRATTORIA: Meanwhile, Uricchio's Trattoria will return to in-house dining next Tuesday, according to owner Claire Porter. Claire told me the dining room will hold a "soft opening" this weekend  to see how it goes in dining rooms with fewer tables and no seats at the bar. The new hours will have Uricchio's closed Sunday and Monday.

 * ... PROTESTS IN PICTURES: With my compliments to all the folks around town who captured these images, a sampling of the protests around town this past weekend.

 * ... MEMORIES: Pictures of wrecks on the old Grapevine connecting Bakersfield with Los Angeles in the years before Interstate 5 was built.

Gov. Newsom wants to shrink the state prison system at the same time business people are being threatened for reopening their shops, Uricchio's Trattoria to reopen for curbside service this Tuesday and Pastor Angelo Frazier to appear on The Richard Beene Show

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 person or organization.

 * ... RELEASING PRISONERS: Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to drastically shrink the footprint of California’s prison system, blaming massive budget cuts triggered by the coronavirus. According to his revised budget, Newsom wants to close two state prisons, shutter all three of the state-run juvenile prisons and cut some inmate firefighter programs. And if that is not enough, he is also proposing that prisoners be released early by shortening parole to a maximum of two years, down

from five years. The irony, of course, is all this comes at the same time that state officials are threatening to jail business owners who open during the pandemic. Now think about that: at the same time we are releasing hardened criminals, we are threatening local business people - the lifeblood of our economy - if they reopen their business to make a living. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood is among those who think this is ludicrous, as does District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. Let all that sink in while you gaze at the picture below of some of the inmates of our state prison system.

 * ... RESTAURANTS: If one thing is for certain, it's that we are all itching to go back out to eat at our favorites haunts. And while we aren't there yet, people are voting with their feet. Outside Luigi's on Friday, takeout customers enjoyed sitting at a long table to catch up, and the same was happening Bootlegger's on Oak Street. This week, Tuesday to be exact, Uricchio's Trattoria opens back up for curbside pickup and it's safe to assume there will be a mad rush to catch up with owner Claire Porter and her crew of regulars.

 * ... OPEN UP: Speaking of the pandemic and the lockdown, Pastor Angelo Frazier of Riverlakes Community Church has been an outspoken proponent of allowing churches to reassemble and for businesses to reopen in Kern County. You might have spotted him at the rallies in front of City Hall, wearing a mask and waving signs urging the reopening of the economy with reasonable accommodations. Frazier will be my guest on The Richard Beene Show this Monday at 2:30 p.m.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "When a disc jockey or a talk show host or a journalist who is being paid to work from his or her home tells people who can’t work, pay bills or pay their rent or mortgage to 'Stay home and be careful because we’re all in this together,' it’s okay to question the premise."

 * ... PUBLIC DEFENDER: An attorney in the Kern County Public Defender's office has triggered a firestorm over a Facebook post suggesting there should be a "memorial" for the "victims" of law enforcement officers. The post read: "If Friday is Peace Officer's Memorial Day then is Sunday their Victim's memorial day?" Bad form? You be the judge.

 * ... EARTHQUAKE: Did you feel that 6.5 earthquake out of Nevada on Friday? It happened around 4 a.m. and while it produced little damage (see the pictures below) it was felt in some parts of Bakersfield.

 * ... JIM BURKE FORD: Well here is another sign of the times. The Jim Burke Ford dealership on Street was vandalized this past week to the tune of some $70,000. Apparently a homeless person took rocks and bricks to the showroom windows as well as damaging multiple new vehicles on the lot.

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers the old River Theater, where Oildale teenagers of the 1960s would enjoy a matinee for just 25 cents Thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page for this nugget.

Uricchio's Trattoria will reopen for curbside pickup soon, the county says it is not in the business of shutting down businesses that violate the state lockdown, and KBAK's Rachelle Murcia celebrates the end of her chemo treatment

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 person or organization.

 * ... REOPENING: Uricchio's Trattoria, the popular downtown eatery that closed temporarily when the stay at home orders were passed down, will be reopening for take-out service on Tuesday, May

19. That's according to owner Claire Porter, who said Uricchio's would reopen with a limited menu as it gauges when it might return to tabletop dining both inside and on its open air patio. Porter said she anticipates the industry will be allowed to reopen but only with some restrictions, possibly limiting inside seating and requiring the use of masks and gloves by some employees. Meanwhile some local restaurants - including Mossman's Fish and Chips, Moo Creamery and Spencers - have reopened with restrictions in defiance of the state order.

 * ... PHASE TWO: As California moves into the Phase 2 process of reopening, county chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop said the county would not be in the business of shutting down businesses that violate the state order. Alsop said the county is in a position of "re-enforcing" the state mandate, but it would be up to the state to use it regulatory power to cite and punish any business that reopened prematurely. For restaurants and bars, Alsop noted, the state can use its regulatory powers over food and alcohol to mete out punishment if needed.

 * ... GIANT HORNETS: Are you ready for the killer hornets? That's right, Asian hornets that grow to two inches in length have been spotted in Washington and farmers worry they could play havoc with the bee population used to pollinate plants. Perhaps not surprisingly, we are told that eating the large hornets is common in some Asian countries.

 * ... TEACHER HONORS: Congratulations to Joseph Andreotti, who was named Teacher of the Year for the Lakeside Union School District. The honor puts him in the running to be Kern County teacher of the year. Andreotti teaches eight grade and ansi is the AVID site coordinator for the AVID program.

 * ... RACHELLE MURCIA: A big hats off to KBAK evening anchor Rachelle Murcia, who officially completed her round of chemotherapy for cancer. The local anchor posted this to celebrate the day: "FINAL CHEMO DONE! I had 4 Red Devil treatments, 4 Taxol treatment and my last treatment was in the 4th day of the 4th month. The force is strong in this one.
(I wore some special things my loved ones sent to me. What I couldn’t wear, I carried with me and that bag sat right next to me for the 5 hours of my last treatment. Thank you all!)"

* .... OLD SCHOOL FIREFIGHTERS: I spotted this photo on a friend's Facebook page so I cannot tell you the date of this photo, or where it was taken, but it is a beauty. Are those beers they are drinking?

 * ... MEMORIES: Don't you just love this picture of old Caliente? Thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page for this nugget from our past.