What does a soaring homeless population and a spike in crime and in Kern County say about life in Kern County? Plus the superbloom does not disappoint and an impressive class in the Highland High School alumni hall of fame

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.

 * ... HOMELESS PROBLEMS: They counted the homeless again and once again the number of people living on the street is up, some 22 percent higher than a year ago. According to Kern County's latest count, some 1,948 people are homeless compared to just 1,603 last year. Now it may be true the number is higher because more people were counting, but the numbers paint a grim picture of what is happening on the

streets day in, and day out. So how does this make you feel? Have our efforts of the past five, six years been a total failure? Record numbers of homeless are being ushered into housing and yet, the numbers on the streets still keep rising. It's not a pretty picture and while local efforts to combat homelessness should be applauded, is there anyone who can say this looks anything like a real successful strategy to turn this around?

 * ... NETFLIX CDs: If you are of a certain age you remember the early, pre-streaming days of Netflix  when our movies arrived in bright red envelopes with a DVD tucked inside. Well Netflix says the last DVD will be shipped on Sept. 29 and after that Netflix will no longer send disks. At its peak in 2010, Netflix had some 20 million customers to its DVD service.

* ... WILDFLOWERS: The wildflower superbloom is here, and you don't have to go far to enjoy it. Certainly the Antelope Valley poppy preserve and the Carrizo Plains are spectacular venues but there are many closer areas that are equally impressive. A casual drive up Breckenridge Road is a superbloom treat, as is Windwolves Preserve and of course Tejon Ranch. Here are a few shots of the wildflowers at Tejon this past weekend, taken by James Burrow.

 * ... MORE TEJON: And check out these photos from Tejon by my friend Mark Duffel, some wonderful superbloom shots for the ages.

 * ... DOWNTOWN GRAFFITI: Koral Hancharick, director of the Buena Vista Museum on Chester, discovered what so many downtown businesses have: their business has been tagged by graffiti artists, or worse broken into. It's another day in the life of Ward 2 where we recently learned homelessness has skyrocketed by more than 20 percent, people sleep on the streets and sidewalks without consequence and our alleys and doorways are being used for drug transactions and more.

 * ... CALIFORNIA SOBER: Have you heard the term "California sober?" It refers to residents of the Golden State who choose not to drink alcohol or do heavy drugs, but they do occasionally partake in cannabis and cannabis-related products. There are no statistics on how many people are "California sober" here, but nationally there has been a gradual move toward non drinking and lighter drinking, and some experts say non-drinkers in states where marijuana is legal are more likely to consume cannabis. In fact, states where marijuana is legal have more people kicking booze than other states. In 2018, 5.1% of adults engaged in heavy drinking in the past year, 15.5% engaged in moderate drinking, 45.7% engaged in light drinking, and 33.7% did not consume alcohol at all.

 * ... HIGHLAND HIGH SCHOOL: Did you see who was inducted into the Highland High School Alumni Hall of Fame? Among those honored were Kern County chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop, San Diego Superior Court Judge Eugenia Eyherabide, Supervisor Leticia Perez, Dr. Willa Crosby Thorson, Joe Barton, Liz Stinson Haley, Pete Gonzalez and the 1977 Varsity Wrestling Team.

 * ... MEMORIES: A couple of historical shots here for your enjoyment, both courtesy of the Kern County History Fans page on Facebook.

Three Kern County cities make a list of the "worst cities" in America, McFarland High rolls out the "early college" program and graffiti vandals deface freshly painted utility boxes on Panorama Drive

Friday, February 8, 2019

 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 tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... WORST CITIES: Three Kern County cities made the list of the top 50 "worst cities" in the United States. Arvin, Taft and California all made the list, which was compiled by The Wall Street

Journal based on affordability, the local economy, the quality of life and the community. The top five "worst" cities were Highland Park, Michigan, Makaha, Hawaii, California City, Florida City and Mendota, Ca.

 * ... MCFARLAND HIGH: Did you know that McFarland High School has boasted the highest graduation rate in Kern County for the past three years? And the high school now has become the first in the state to introduce the "early college" program, which allows seniors to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate's degree from Bakersfield College. Starting next year, all ninth graders at McFarland High will be enrolled in the early college program.

 * ... GRAFFITI: Remember when local artists teamed up with county administrators to paint the utility boxes at Panorama Park with color images of flowers, trees and skylines? It was a thoughtful project, and it brought a new energy and positivity to the popular park along Panorma Drive. And as things go here, it didn't last long before graffiti artists ruined it all. Almost all of the freshly painted utility boxes have been tagged.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Half-time Super Bowl show review: The good news? I saw two nips. The bad news? They belonged to that Maroon 5 guy."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Once you reach that level of dad where you put your phone in your shirt pocket there is no way back."

 * ... JAZZ FESTIVAL KILLED: The Bakersfield Jazz Festival, a benchmark event for our community, is taking a year off and will not be held this year. Jim Scully, the direction, had this to say: "The week of BJF is filled with events at CSUB this year honoring the new CSUB president, so it’s the right year for a reboot. We are taking a year to reinvent and re-imagine our event. We will be back and stronger than ever in 2020 - best to you all, and thanks for your support."

 * ... ETHICS PANEL: The Kegley Institute of Ethics out at CSU Bakersfield has brought on two professors as part of its Faculty Fellowship. They are Dr. Alice Hays (CSUB Department of Teacher Education) and Dr. Jeanine Kraybill( CSUB Department of Political Science). Dr. Hays’ project focuses on collaborating with local teachers and CSUB students to promote the development of ethical, social, and educational competencies in young students. Dr. Kraybill’s project focuses on the “different voice debate,” centered on representation of female judicial officers in the United States and, related to this, whether (and, if so, in what ways) female judges adjudicate differently on key issues than their male counterparts. Dr. Kraybill will investigate this issue by developing a survey that examines this question with juridical officers throughout California. Kraybill appears every Thursday at 2:30 p.m. on The Richard Beene Show on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM.

* ... MEMORIES: Check this out, the old Southern Hotel in its heyday.

Reminiscing about the first general election in a long time without Dan Rather, who once characterized a race was as "tight as rusted lug nuts on a '55 Ford." And California Democrats close in on a super majority in Sacramento

 * ... SACRAMENTO: California Democrats are nearing a "super majority" in Sacramento that will allow them to pass virtually anything without any Republican votes. Along with the passage of Prop 30 tax increase, this is a huge windfall for Gov. Jerry Brown and it reflects the weakness of the Republican Party in California politics. (Republicans now account for just 31 percent of the registered voters in California) As George Skelton of The Los Angeles Times said: "And history teaches us what absolute power can do: affix blinders and corrupt... With a two-thirds vote, there's virtually nothing that can't be done in Sacramento. You can raise taxes, override a governor's veto, write constitutional amendments, propose bond issues."

 * ... DAN RATHER: Did you miss former CBS News anchor Dan Rather presiding over election night? Rather certainly had his quirky side, but his humor was legendary. Some of Rather's funnier takes from previous general elections: "His lead is as thin as turnip soup ... This situation in Ohio would give an aspirin a headache ... This race is shakier than cafeteria Jell-O... Now Florida, that race, the heat from it is hot enough to peel house paint ... In southern states they beat him like a rented mule ... He swept through the South like a tornado through a trailer park ... This race is as tight as rusted lug nuts on a '55 Ford."

 * ... SPOTTED: From a longtime reader who asked to remain anonymous. "Yesterday I was driving north on North Chester when I spotted a maroon pickup that was loaded with religious stickers on the bumper, tailgate and windows.  I thought to myself 'Now there's a very good Christian' -- until I witnessed the following: He started tailgating a car and did so for about three blocks. The tailgater got a chance to pass the car and as he went past gave the finger salute! My only hope is that maybe he had borrowed the truck!"

 * ... TRASH: More frustration about the trash on our streets from Bonnie Farrer:  "I see the trash and think 'government failure.' We pay high taxes in this state, yet our roads are disgraceful. A very wise citizen suggested that prisoners clean up our roads, then if people are ever caught throwing trash out their car windows they too can become prisoners!"

 * ... TAGGERS: And finally, reader Rich Partain shares his frustration with taggers. "Nearby there is a nice stretch of concrete block wall that fronts a storm drain sump. One day public employees are dutifully trimming and shaping between the bushes that grow along it.  Within a short time taggers put their mark on the now accessible cleared section. Soon after the graffiti cleanup truck shows up and the worker is busily removing the offending calligraphy. It is a lot harder to leave a painted message on a fast growing shrub than a clean wall. Seems some communication is in order here with faltering government budgets and mandated cost reductions coming from on high."

 * ... SANDY: Hurricane Sandy has come and gone, but the relief effort in parts of New York and New Jersey is still struggling to help thousands impacted by the storm. If you'd like to help, former East Rotary Club president Dan Giordano reminded me that most Rotary clubs are acting as conduits to get donations to the needy. There is always the Red Cross and Salvation Army, but now is the time to give.
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A proud family of five generations of UC graduates and Roscoe rescues a mannequin foot

 * ... CAL BEARS: Robert Hargreaves wrote to weigh in on the old Cal Drinking Song, saying the lyrics referred to the town of Lakeport, not Newport. Hargreaves should know, given his family's history with Berkeley and the UC system. "My grandfather got his BS and MS from Berkeley in the early 1900s," he said. "Both my parents graduated from Berkeley back in the 1930s, back when Berkeley was still an ag school. I graduated from UC Davis with a BS in agricultural education and a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. My brother Bruce graduated from UC Santa Barbara and then went to New York for his PhD. My son Leo graduated from UC Irvine. My granddaughter, Cassie Horn, is enrolled at UC Irvine. Five generations of UC attendees."

 * ... RENEGADE: From a reader: "Did you know that Renegade public address announcer Carl Bryan, spotter Chuck Cunningham and spotter Norm Ranalo have been together for over 25 years doing home games at Memorial Stadium? They will be back again in September."

 * ... ROSCO:  Roscoe Rolnik of Guarantee Shoe Center knows something about feet, so it stands to reason he was there to help a mannequin foot make it through TSA security at Meadows Field. Seems that Suzanne Bryan had checked into her flight to Minneapolis for a national knitting convention when she discovered she had forgotten her demonstration mannequin foot. Her husband, Carl Bryan, rushed to the airport with the foot, worried about what he would say to the TSA agents, when he spotted his good friend Roscoe going through security. "He agreed to take our foot through security as part of his carry on luggage," Carl said. "A true miracle. He has probably handled more mannequin feet than anyone else in town."

 * ... TRIATHLON: North High graduate Suzanne Filkins finished the Nyiad New York City Triathlon recently, all in honor of her dear friend Vikki Kastner Harrison who lost her battle with lymphoma five years ago. Suzanne graduated from Long Beach State University and now lives and works in New York City. Her parents are Dr. Mylon and Patricia Filkins. The triathlon benefitted the Lymphoma and Leukemia Cancer Society. Suzanne raised over $2,000 for this worthy cause.

 * ... BUCK OWENS: Lee Ann Enns, who works at Buck Owens Production Co., wrote to set the record straight about the old Buck Owens Celebrity Golf Tournament that drew so many big names to town. "Buck Owens only had the golf tournament for four years, 1971-1974. There was a two year hiatus (1975-1976). Then Buck put on the Buck Owens Rodeo Days for eight years. James Brolin did participate in the golf tournament one or two years, however."

 * ... DID YOU KNOW? Did you know that the city of Bakersfield has an iPhone app for reporting graffiti? Just choose the type of surface the graffiti was on, let your built-in GPS report the location, and attach a photo.