The owners of Cafe Smitten looking at a new downtown business, The Cue gets ready to open and electric cars become the hottest segment of the new car market

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.

 * ... EASTCHESTER: Keep an eye on east 18th Street - dubbed Eastchester by the downtown crowd - for some new developments. First, the owners of Cafe Smitten - Stasie and Shai Bitton - are preparing to

open a new food and drink establishment across the street in the home of the old Dot & Ott. The venue will offer mixed drinks and food, and has been named the "Botanist." The original Cafe Smitten was opened in February 2017, followed by the Buena Vista location several years later.

 * ... THE CUE: A little farther east down 18th Street, nestled next door to the Silver Fox Lounge and across the street from Mexicali, the new Cue luxury apartments is about to open, providing yet more housing in the central business district. The Cue joins the 17th Street Townhomes as the latest project by city councilman Robert Smith and a group of investors. Ground already has been broken for a third apartment complex at the site of the old Sinaloa restaurant, and a fourth and fifth complex are in the works for the same area.

 * ... NEW STORES: Meanwhile out on Rosedale Highway a new Chick-fil-A is being built at the site of the old Pier One. It will be the second Chick-fil-A in town and, judging by the success of the California Avenue location, this one will be a hit. In fact, developers are building the new franchise with two drive-thru lines to speed things up.

 * ... ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES: Sales of electric vehicles in the United States have gone mainstream and battery powered vehicles are now the fastest growing segment of the auto market. All that is according to Cox Automotive, who said sales of conventional cars and trucks declined 15 percent during the first nine months of this year compared to last year. Cox said buyers of electric cars tended to be both younger, and women. In that same period, the total market share of electric car sales jumped to 5.6 percent to 2.9 percent. And electric vehicles are also popular beyond California, home to early adopters.

 * ... DOG IN PAIN? GIVE HIM A CBD BISCUIT: More Americans than ever are turning to CBD products to calms their nervous dogs. A recent survey of 409 dog owners, by the Center for Canine Behavior Studies, showed that over half the owners had given their dogs CBD treats to soothe their pets. Still, there are no studies that conclude how effective these treatments have been, but apparently most dog owners are convinced CBD biscuits do work.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "There are over 8 billion people in the world now and you're still single."

 * ... BAD DRIVERS: Here's a new study on California drivers that may not surprise you. According to a study by Lending Tree, California drivers rank as some of the worst in the nation and the worst of them are in two cities: Bakersfield ranked No. 1 and Sacramento No. 2. They were among eight California cities that made it into the top 10 list, including Richmond at No. 9, Riverside at No. 8, Fresno at No. 5 and San Diego No. 6. San Francisco weighed it at No. 5 and Los Angeles at No. 4. The best drivers, the driver said, were in Louisville, Ky., which landed at No. 1.

 * ... SPOTTED AT NUESTRO MEXICO: Apparently famous Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was in Bakersfield recently and he ate at Nuestro Mexico, which has been highlighted in the southern California media for its authentic cuisine. The director posted this on Instagram saying he stopped in Bakersfield "for some sweet molten cheese w chorizo!!"

 * ... MEMORIES: Compliments of the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page comes this picture of old downtown at 19th and Chester facing east in 1938. In the second shot, the Bakersfield History Fans page offers a promotion for Zippy the Clown.

Homelessness, mass shootings , rampant crimes ... what has come with our town? Is it just an result of our rapid growth? And a veterinarian pleads with people to never leave their pets alone when they are put to sleep

Friday, September 14, 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.

 * ... OUR TOWN: Homelessness, car break ins, deadly shootings ... what is happening in our community? The latest incident, a shooting off Highway 58 that left six people dead, including the

shooter, has left me questioning what became of the town that I have called home since 1994. Maybe it was all inevitable, with the rapid growth and accompanying issues that come when a sleepy small town becomes the ninth largest city in the state. That's what Carlos Baldovinos, head of the Mission, told me recently in a discussion on the homeless problem. These are issues that come with growth and bigger cities, he said, almost implying that we should just get used to it. Even Donny Youngblood, our sheriff, called the shootings "the new normal." You have to wonder if all these problems will help the initiatives in the county and city to raise the sales tax by 1 percent to help fund public safety. Time will tell.

 * ... WHEN PETS DIE: A post on social media by a veterinarian in South Africa has gotten a lot of attention recently. Its point: if your dog or cat is dying, never leave it alone with strangers in its last momemts. "I beg you DO NOT LEAVE THEM... Do not make them transition from life to death in a room full of strangers in a place they don't like." When that happens, the vet says the dying pet looks into the eyes of every person in the room, searching in vain for its owner. "They search every face in the room for their loved person. They don't understand why you left them when they are sick, scared, old or dying from cancer and they need your comfort." The post, signed off by a "tired and broken hearted vet," has been shared over 87,000 times.

* ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "I returned a pair of Nike shoes yesterday for a refund, and the clerk asked me what was wrong with them. I told her they hurt my feet when I stood up for the national anthem."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You can tell a lot about the mood of a woman by looking at her hands. For instance, if they are holding a gun she is probably angry."

 *  ... ZIPPY THE CLOWN: Who remembers Zippy the Clown? Jim Escalle does and he sent me this note to share: "I was doing some traveling down memory lane in my mind tonight, thinking of days when I was a kid. I grew up in Delano back in the 1960s and 1970s, and was sharing with my sister about some things I remembered about those times. I was telling her about Zippy the clown, and how he came to our home in Delano in the mid to late 1960s for another sister's birthday party. I included a photo of that occasion. I'm the one on the far right with a big smile on my face. I remember Zippy making animal hats from those skinny balloons he twisted and shaped, then placed them on our heads. When I looked up Zippy on Google to see what if anything was on him, I came across one of your blog pages, dated April 12, 2012, and saw Zippy mentioned. So I thought I'd send you a photo of this wonderful character. According to my mother, he did quite a few birthday parties and other events for local kids. I also remember being on the Uncle Woody Show back in the late 1960s or early 1970s. My mother's Camp Fire Girls were going to Bakersfield to be on there, and I asked her if I could tag along. I knew Woody would give away a free toy to any boy or girl who could tell a good riddle or joke, so I went there for that reason. I got a Hippity Hop ball that day, and I was thrilled. Lots of good memories of those times.:

 * ... MEMORIES: Anybody remember the old Peacock Dairy in town? I spotted this on the Kern County of Old Facebook page. The caption said the dairy was founded in 1902 by Harrison Ross Peacock.