As homelessness grows the city and county struggle with ways to combat it, Greg Gallion hangs it up at Houchin Blood Bank and animal rescue groups push for new laws

Friday, August 17, 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.

 * ... HOMELESS: Was the big county meeting on the homeless a sincere effort to deal with a serious problem, or a political stunt aim at putting on a good face so close to the November election?

Jeff Heinle, the firefighter running against Supervisor Mike Maggard, called it a cynical stunt put on by a board who has wasted a decade doing nothing. Heinle said homelessness is the county's No. 1 issue, and I for one agree with him. And what would he do to tackle the problem? Dig into the county's emergency fund and pay for programs that were set up - but largely left unfunded - almost a decade ago. "We have to do something," he told me on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM. "This is why I am running. I am not a career politician and I want to get something done."

 * ... POOP PATROL: Meanwhile, one of the potentially harmful side effects of homelessness is all the urine and feces left on the streets, creating a health hazard reminiscent of some of the worst Third World cities. And it is happening in California now in San Francisco, where the city has created a full-time "poop patrol" to clean up feces left by the homeless. Seriously. And all that at a cost of $700,000 a year. Let that sink in.

 * ... HOUCHIN BLOOD BANK: After overseeing explosive growth at the Houchin Blood Bank, Greg Gallion is hanging it up as president of the local non-profit. Gallion joined Houchin in 2001 and was instrumental in the opening of the blood bank's new facilities off Buena Vista Road. A graduate of East High School known for his signature handlebar mustache, Gallion has been the public face of the organization while serving on the board of multiple boards and non-profits. Among other things, he is a past president of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, former member of the Kern County Fair Board and a board member with JJ's Legacy. No word yet on who will replace him.

* ... ANIMAL CONTROL: Meanwhile, the folks in the local dog and cat rescue world are starting to come together to demand the county and city adopt tougher laws to protect stray dogs and cats. Some of their top priorities: make breeders take out permits before they breed dogs (exceptions allowed for AKC breeders), make the tethering of dogs more restrictive and form an animal control cruelty task force to impose harsher penalties on those who abuse their pets. This is one issue that can we solved with some forward thinking policies.

 * ... FOREVER HOME: And speaking of animal rescue, congratulations to the folks over at the Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies Rescue for finding a "forever home" for Shadow, a pit bull who lived the first five years of his life chained to a stake in the ground. Left in the sun all day, Shadow spent his days trying to chew through the huge chain, losing most of his teeth in the process. Donna Carpenter, a former Bakersfield resident now living in Alaska, adopted Shadow after money was raised to get the pit transported to his new home.

 * ... AH THE IRONY: The irony in this scene is rich. On the day the county's Homeless Collaborative met to discuss our growing problem with the homeless, I pulled into the radio station parking lot to find our parking lot had been taken over by eight to 10 homeless and all their belongings.

 * ... PROVIDENCE: Hats off to Gabriela Gonzalez, most recently a staffer for state Sen. Andy Vidak, who has now joined Providence Strategic Consulting, Inc. as its new Government Public Affairs Manager.

 * ... MEMORIES: You just have to love this old photo/postcard.

Quick thinking neighbor helps save the life of an injured dog, Ryan Alsop gets a big endorsement and watch out for those thieves who steal packages off porches

 *... ANIMAL CONTROL: Catherine Sarad sent a shout-out to an animal control officer who possibly saved the life of her dog. "One of our dogs, Callahan, jumped over a six foot high gate and

got out of our yard. This was not normal behavior for him  We had had some very odd occurrences at our home for entire week prior to this. We believe something had scarred him so much he felt he had to escape anyhow possible. We live on 21st Street and Beech. He was hit by a car on the corner of our intersection. Someone called animal control right away, and thankfully an animal control vehicle was close by and responded quickly. The animal control officer called my husband, John, and he was able to get there immediately. The animal control officer drove Calahan to our family vet with John following behind. Calahan did survive, but his recovery will take some time. If animal control had not been called quickly and responded so quickly Calahan would not have survived.
He has had jaw surgery at the VCA Veterinary Specialists of the Valley in Woodland Hills.  He has had to have four teeth removed.  His left front leg is paralyzed, but we are working with it and hoping he will use out of it again and will not need amputation. We are so grateful to the person who called animal control and the quick response of the animal control unit. As with a lot of pet owners, our pets are part of our family."

 * ... ALSOP: The county's new chief executive officer, Ryan Alsop, got a sterling endorsement from Chris Frank, longtime former director of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce. Frank reach out to me to say she hired Alsop as a legislative intern when he was in his last year of college. "He worked with GRC (governmental review council), air quality committee and petroleum committee. He traveled with me on legislative trips and was the just a standout in innovative thinking. He left to work for Congressman Stephen Horn in Washington D.C.  I could not be more excited that he is back to lead the county through the challenges ahead." Alsop grew up in Bakersfield and attended Cal State Bakersfield.

 * ... PACKAGES: This is the high season for thieves who follow the UPS and postal service trucks to steal packages left on porches. I caught two younger men doing just that on a house just down the street, and after confronting them, they put the package back on the porch. Talk to any police officer and they will tell you it is happening all over town.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If your story doesn’t end with 'but his eyebrows will eventually grow back,' I don’t wanna hear about it."

 * ... FAIRNESS: Patti Garcia wrote to defend folks on the quiet eastside street of Ina Court. She was responding to a reader who said someone on Ina Court was tossing dog feces into another street. Said Garcia: "I found your blog this morning from Nancy Vibe quite interesting since my home backs up to Auburn Street  on Ina Court.  I applaud the gentleman who helps keep our community clean. However I am a responsible pet owner, who owns a pooper scooper and picks up after my dogs almost daily. If you are a regular driver on Auburn Street you may have noticed this Hispanic lady walking her two dogs daily with her 'pickup bag'  in hand. Well that is me, Patti, who lives on Ina Court.  I have wonderful neighbors who I can't imagine would be that irresponsible. I have noticed that a lot of people allow their dogs to do their business on other people's property and just keep on walking. So to mention Ina Court in your otherwise GOOD FORM, not only took the focus off a good deed done, but unfair to the residents on Ina Court." I stand corrected, Patti.

 * ... MEMORIES: And finally,  Dave “Doc” Rangel, the retired athletic trainer at Stockdale High School, shared this "Just read about the JBA (Junior Baseball Association) blog. I remember the Bakersfield Batting Range was also there with JBA the fields. My father would be getting a haircut on the south side of 34th street and I would go across the street and hit at the range. Thanks for the memories."

Rep. Kevin McCarthy returns home in style, giving up his seat to a World War II veteran, and it was a weekend of events in Bakersfield

 * ... MCCARTHY: After a bruising week both politically and personally on Capitol Hill, Rep. Kevin McCarthy returned home in the style which has made him so popular: he flew

home with World War II members of the latest "Honor Flight." McCarthy, along with wife Judy and daughter Mehgan, gave up their first class seats to sit in coach with the veterans, yet another reminder that despite checking his own political ambitions, he remains deeply rooted in his community. And how nice it must be to return home without worrying about engaging in the weekly dance of the Sunday political talk shows.

 * ... OUR TOWN: So who said there's nothing to do in this town? This was a whirlwind of a weekend, starting with the Friday evening event downtown featuring Mento Buru and sponsored by the Bakersfield Young Professionals, as well as another Rick Kreiser sponsored "Guitar Series" concert. On Saturday there were a slew of events, beginning in the morning with Via Arte out at the Marketplace, an antique roadshow, the huge 99 Music Fest at CSUB, the Kern County Farm Bureau's annual sold-out dinner and class reunions for Shafter, Garces Memorial and Wasco high schools in various venues.

* ... MUSIC FEST: And speaking of the 99 Music Fest, is there a more beautiful venue in town than the Cal State Bakersfield amphi-theater? Despite the heat, the area is blessed with small groves of trees, a smartly terraced lawn and enough space for two stages, food vendors and a VIP area. Hats off to Imbibe Wine and Spirits, Advance Beverage and other vendors including Cafe Med (they featured an incredible pita sandwich), Pyrenees Cafe (the lamb pops were delicious), Hungry Hunter, Michaelanglo Pizza, Curbside Kitchen,  Johnny Rockets, Champs BBQ, Brookside Deli and Market, Iron Horse Saloon and of course Advance Beverage.

* ... ROUGH DAY: I spotted this email circulating at The Californian: "Rough day for Bakersfield media darlings Kevin McCarthy and Cody Kessler. McCarthy pulls out of the race for Speaker of the House, throwing the COP into turmoil and Kessler's Heisman dreams are all but gone with his performance in USC's loss to unranked Washington. Let's hope they both get back on their feet and have better days!"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket."

 * ... ANIMAL CONTROL: John and Teresa McKiearnan sent me this note that speaks for itself: "I called Bakersfield animal control during the work week to report a deceased dog on Union Avenue. After a day and a half and three phone calls a very friendly control officer called me back and informed me it was not in the city's jurisdiction. The real problem I have is when the officer told me she was the only officer on duty that day, Really! A city with 370,000 people and you have only one animal control officer on call. That is unacceptable Mr. Tandy."

* ... OLD TIMER: This note from reader Michael Clark: "If I may, I think one would be considered an "old timer" should they have dined (likely with their folks) at Ewing's (Jack and Hazel) Tam O' Shanter. Iceberg lettuce with real Roquefort cheese.

New smart TVs will start to resemble our cell phones as consumers move away from traditional programming, and more criticism of Cal Water over its confusing drought decisions

 * ... MOBILE: Get ready for a whole new line of "smart TVs" designed to leverage the growing time we spend on our mobile devices. The new flat screen TVs, from manufacturers like Sharp, Samsung, Sony and Insignia, are designed to take advantage of a growing trend by consumers to ditch traditional TV programming, which has been in a long slow slide that is now accelerating. As noted in The Wall Street Journal, the share of traditional network TV and local programming is
quickly eroding as consumers opt for devices like Roku and Apple TV to access Netflix and other programming on their mobile devices. TV manufacturers are eager to capitalize on alternative and mobile programming, and they say the new TVs will begin to look more like the screens of our cell phones.

 * ... DROUGHT: I wrote earlier wondering why Cal Water Company does not provide a rebate for artificial turn, which drew this response from David Crabtree: "I have been a certified water auditor for over 20 years and landscape contractor for over 30 years. It is a head-scratcher why the $1 rebate from California Water Service does not apply to artificial turf, which is truly a no water element.  I do agree converting turf to drought tolerant landscape is a positive change for water conservation and done properly is visually appealing. But just as important is changing popup spray irrigation to either drip or bubbler application to irrigate your drought tolerant plants. Also, what is puzzling to me is unlimited time allowed for watering on odd and even days. Without that restriction, in some cases, more water is being applied than before the restrictions."

 * ... MORE DROUGHT: And David George added this: "I echo Heather Van Arkle's confusion. We are working with a landscaper to replace our front lawn with flagstone and artificial turf. After reading the guidelines, we will put drought tolerant planting where the turf was supposed to be.  Not sure how that will save as much water, but those are the guidelines.  ut here is the bigger issue. I have been attempting to fill out an online application, which is the only way to get my plan approved.  Unfortunately the website is not up and running. According to our local Cal Water office, it will be one to two weeks before the system is ready. Seems it would have been smarter to get the system working before all the hype about rebates."

 * ... CROSSING: This from reader Ronald Belair: "Just a small concern I have. The local railroad crossings at Hughes Lane, White Lane, Gosford Road and New Stine have all been well repaired and are smooth to vehicle traffic. However the crossing on District Boulevard just west of New Stine is in very bad shape, and is in much need of attention. Anything that you do to see if this can be remedied would certainly be appreciated. After all there is much more traffic on District than on Hughes."

* ... BAD FORM: Jamie Butow was at home in the southwest when she spotted three teenagers in a red Honda Pilot circle her cul-de-sac and stop in front of her house. "They proceeded to throw several soda cans, plastic water bottles, and other assorted trash out the window and into the street and then drove off. On a work call, I was stuck. What %@#*! jerks!" But what happened next is enough to warm any mother's heart. "Then my 11-year-old son, who also saw them, went out and picked up all the trash they left behind."

 * ... GOOD FORM: And here is a shoutout from Michelle Corson to some folks who always do good work: "I saw Bakersfield City Animal Control in action today and they have a heart wrenching job. They responded to calls from me and my colleagues at our workplace about two stray dogs today.  After much effort, they were only able to catch one of the dogs. Tears filled my eyes as I watched this worker try to help these forgotten, hungry, thirsty dogs. Thanks for their hard work, a job I could not do."

A Bakersfield kindergarten teacher instructs her kids on the lessons of September 11, and a fund raiser is set for Saturday for the Fox Theater in Taft

* .... NEVER FORGET: Jolie Brouttier, a kindergarten teacher at McKinley Elementary School, posted this beautiful note on her Facebook page to remember the victims of the September 11 attacks.

"It is a day we will all remember and never forget. However my students, born in 2008, are unable to reflect on a day that they did not experience, nor would they understand. It is my job today not only to teach them but to instill and enlighten the beauties of being American. We cross our hearts, they pledge, and I reflect."

 * ... SPOTTED: At the Ramco gas station and market at the corner of F and 23rd streets a woman is gassing up her car, using her right hand to hold the nozzle and a cigarette at the same time.

 * ... ANIMAL CARE: Gene Bonas and his wife Robbie are animal lovers, and every year they send a nice donation to the SPCA and the animal control facility on Mt. Vernon. He always receives a nice thank you note from the facilities but has a better idea. "I suggested quite some time ago that each start a monthly pledge type donation program, such as the one conducted at The Mission of Kern County. I realized that, instead of one big donation, a monthly donation would total much more for the entire year. Although I received nice cards from both places, neither has yet to begin any kind of pledge program."


 * ... 25 HILL: The Fox Theater in Taft will be hold a special screening this Saturday for 25 Hill, a move directed by Corbin Bernson. His mother, of course, is the late soap opera star Jeanne Cooper, who grew up in Taft. The screenings will be held at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and proceeds will go to the Fox Theater digital conversion project. The movie is about the All American Soap Box Derby and a boy whose father died in Afghanistan. (file photo of Corbin Bernson)

* ... FATHER CRAIG: Monsignor Craig Harrison will be honored later this month at the annual Police Activities League (PAL) fund raiser at Seven Oaks Country Club. This is PAL's major fund raiser to support its efforts to help needy youth in Bakersfield. Monsignor Craig will be honored as PAL's Hometown Hero for all the work he has done to help our community. If you are interested in sponsoring a table at the Thursday, September 26 event, contact Naomi Vidales at (661) 283-8880.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Dolores Hoffman says you may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the martinis at Ewing's Tam O'Shanter were garnished with a small pickled green tomato instead of an olive. "Mickey was our favorite waitress, and dining at Tam O'Shanter was always very special.