Bakersfield's homeless population moves to the suburban southwest, the killers of Jose Arredondo remain free after four years and Anchor Steam Beer calls it quits

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 BAKERSFIELD: Have you noticed the homeless population has found other "hot spots"around town to camp and beg for money? Several years ago the intersection of Gosford and White Lane became a homeless haunt - at one time there people begging for money on all four corners in traffic on all four sides - and now it looks like the Southwest Sully's and the Trader Joe's shopping center across the street have become popular venues for vagrants. On Friday morning of this week alone, three

homeless men on bicycles hauling grocery carts were spotted at the the Sully's parking lot while two others rested on the small lawn along Gosford across the street. And a sixth was spotted off the bike path at Gosford with his pants around his knees taking care of business. 

* ... STATE OF THE CITY: Meanwhile it is time to thank Mayor Karen Goh who played the role of the adult in the room at the recent State of the City. While other speakers either dismissed the homeless issue or just mentioned it casually, Goh brought up "the elephant in the room" in the homeless crisis and the weariness many feel with the level of filth, disease and trash the problem attracts. Goh cited efforts to build more affordable housing and applauded a group the city contracts with to clean up biohazards like human feces.  (picture of Goh by The Californian)

* ... REMEMBERING JOSE: It has been four years since Bakersfield car dealer Jose Arredondo was found murdered in Baja California. He had been tortured, a fingernail had been pulled from a finger and his right ear was mutilated, all evidence his death was both violent and grisly. In the time since, a suspect was charged and jailed and since released after a Mexican court found there was a lack of evidence to charge him. And now the family waits for answers, as reflected in a Californian story this week. No doubt Arredondo was a controversial figure in town, known both for his generosity and his tendency to belittle people in public, and meanwhile is family awaits answers. (photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian)

 * ... RIP ANCHOR BREWING: San Francisco is about to lose another of its signature local businesses, and this time it is beer maker Anchor Brewing. The company is closing down and this time the culprit is a challenging craft beer industry and changing tastes. Anchor willl shut down after 127 years in business, making it America's oldest craft brewer. The San Francisco-based company announced Wednesday it’s ceasing operations and liquidating the beloved business “following a combination of challenging economic factors and declining sales since 2016,” a press release said. Craft brewers, in particular, have been struggling for a variety of reasons including changing consumer habits, rising costs and lingering supply-chain challenges. Another problem has been Sapporo, the Japanese beer company that bought the brand in 2017. Employees complained to VinePair last month about Sapporo’s alleged mismanagement and lack of understanding of craft beer in the United States. In addition, a 2021 rebrand of Anchor was criticized for pivoting too far away from the brand’s classic look.

 * ... OUR SHAME: The sheer number of abandoned dogs and cats in Kern County is astounding, and experts in the field will tell you it is not getting any better. Is it our culture here? Are pets now "disposable" once we lose a job or have to move? Well this picture of this sad Doberman, taken to the city animal shelter, pretty much says it all.

 

* .... SHOT OF THE DAY: Check out this amazing picture of the Golden Gate bridge that appeared on the "My Home Is California" (MHIC) Facebook page.

 

 * ... MEMORIES: And check out this amazing old photo of Chester Avenue at 18 Street. How many buildings do you recognize? Thanks to the Kern County History Fans for this shot.

Petty crime, vandalism an break-in mar a Mother's Day weekend, California ranks at the eighth most healthy state and celebrating a picture of Lake Shasta reservoir filled to the brim

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.

* ... MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND: You could have spent Mother's Day at brunch, with the family at the beach or just hanging around the pool on a sunny Sunday. Or, perhaps less glamorously, you spent it dealing with the seemingly never ending chaos caused by vandalism, drugs and homelessness. For one homeowner on 21st Street, her weekend was ruined when she awoke to find her wood fence virtually

destroyed by vagrants who made off with lawn furniture. "When will it end"? she asked me. "Who do we call? We all feel so helpless." If you were the CPA Andrea Rutherford Hill, whose neat, tidy office is on 19th Street, someone smashed the front window to her office. It was the fifth time this has happened since last Oct. 31. And then there was the newly wed couple in Riviera Westchester, who spent part of Sunday afternoon watching a homeless man light a series of fires along the bike trail along the Kern River, igniting a large area of brush and trees until fire units arrived. And so it goes.

 

 * ... FREELOADER: And then I spotted this post about a random woman in the Olive Drive area who allegedly walked into someone's home in the middle of the night, had a snack and even showered before leaving. This note was left by a resident on the Ring network: "This girl tried to walk into my daughter's home at 3xam. She then broke into her car, ate her kids snacks, and went to the neighbors home, walked in their front door, stole an Xbox, Apple Watch, and a laptop all while the family slept.She then went into another homes doggie door. Ate food, and showered. Walked right out their front door!! Keep an eye out!! Stay safe!"

* .... FITNESS: It's no secret that California makes a lot of lists: it ranks as one of the most expensive places to live in the nation, we house the lion's share of the nation's homeless and we have some of the most liberal criminal sentencing laws in the country. But here's a list we can be proud of: California is ranked No. 8 on the list of the most healthy states. We were helped because we aren't as fat as other states even with bad air, but it does reflect the Golden State's fondness for a healthy lifestyle. The top ten list was led by Hawaii, followed by Colorado, Vermont, Utah, New Hampshire Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Rhode Island and New Jersey. The most unhealthy states? Kentucky and West Virginia.

 * ... PHOTO GALLERY: Here are two remarkable post storm pictures from California, featured in the MHIC (My Home Is California) Facebook page. The first picture of Avila Beach is taken by Angela Churchill and the second of the Lake Shasta dam by Paul Kim. Enjoy.

* ... MEMORIES: The Kern County History Fans is a local group dedicated to sharing our common history, and its Facebook page is a treasure trove of goodies. Here are a couple of items that appeared on its page. Enjoy.

Bakersfield braces for a cold winter of crime and vandalism, a fed-up Portland finally moves to oust the homeless and celebrating 100,000 spay neuters by the non profit Critters Without Litters

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.

 * ... WINTER IS COMING: Winter is coming and with it the expected spike in seasonal crime. It's hard to think of petty crime getting any worse here, and for the most part residents - and of course the politicians who are supposed to do something about all this  - have learned to live with an ugly new reality of life in Bakersfield. You'd think there would be more of an urgency to clean the streets, but with a few rare exceptions (supervisor candidate Jeff Flores among them) most local elected officials just choose to ignore it. Cars are broken into nightly in the best of

neighborhoods, catalytic converters disappear in broad daylight, park restrooms have been taken over by drug addicts, empty buildings burn with frightening regularity as the number of mentally ill homeless on the streets seems to grow by the day. A businesswoman comes back from cancer treatment to find her downtown office broken into and a mess. A new business owner, proud of what she has built, finds two windows shattered during the night. A third person, an employee of a business on Stockdale Highway, reports to work one day to fire a fire smoldering in a dumpster. So what can we do? Not much it seems, but if you are a homeowner never leave anything in your car or truck, leave your outside porch lights on, install a security camera, consult with neighbors and when it is time to vote, kick out any public official who minimizes what has come of our community. (random photos around town)

 * ... PORTLAND RESPONDS: Want to know how bad the homeless issue has become? Even in Portland, home to a mindset that has allowed homeless encampments to flourish, city officials appear to have had enough. This week city crews moved into a major homeless encampment at Laurelhurst Park, located in a high income neighborhood, and cleaned the place out. As they cleared the camps bulldozers moved in and built multiple pickleball courts and a skate ramp. (file photo of Laurelhurst Park)

 * ... ENFORCEMENT WORKS: Most people involved in the homeless issue focus on providing permanent housing as the answer, yet that does little or nothing for the business people and residents who are subjected to the general craziness and lawlessness that vagrants bring. But enforcement (keeping vagrants on the move) does work, just like we saw in Portland, Just take a look at the Smart and Final parking lot on F Street, one of the city's longtime gritty venues for the homeless to gather. After a rash of vandalism, the homeless were moved out several weeks ago and - for now at least - the problem is gone. 

* ... CRITTERS WITHOUT LITTERS: Critters Without Litters is the only low cost, spay neuter non profit in Bakersfield devoted to dealing with our pet explosion problem. And now, just a few weeks from the organization's 10th anniversary, it reached a new milestone: Critters has now spayed or neutered 100,000 pets. "It's a mind boggling number," said Vicky Thrasher, executive director. "I still remember our first few weeks when we wondered how we'd ever get up to 20 surgeries a day." Critters routinely provides 70 to 80 spay/neuter surgeries a day for pets and feral or free roaming cats in the community, four days a week. They also offer a walk in vaccine clinic Monday through Thursday where anywhere from 120 to 180 animals arrive each day for vaccines. Critters Without Litters is located off White Lane on Stine Road. For more information go to www.critterswithoutlitters.org. (photos courtesy or Critters Without Litters)

 * ... SODA CRACKERS: One of the hottest local bands around, The Soda Crackers, is returning to the Kern County Museum for a special show on Sunday, Nov. 13. The band features brothers Zane and Cooper Adamo (sons of photographer Felix Adamo and author wife Teresa) and their bandmates to create a Western swing sound closely associated with the Bakersfield Sound. Tickets normally sell out so order them at https://www.eventbrite.com/.../the-soda-crackers-present...(photos by Felix Adamo)

 * .... MEMORIES: It's easy to forget how big Buck Owens was in his prime, particularly among Asian crowds who embraced his Bakersfield Sound. This picture says it all, compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. The caption: "Buck Owens in mid 1970's on tour in Sydney, Australia. His manager on left is Jack McFadden, and on the right is Banjo player Ronnie Jackson. This was a month long tour in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Sold-out shows wherever they appeared."

President Biden turns to Venezuelan oil while snubbing domestic producers, City Council Andrae Gonzales' latest idea to combat dumpster fires lands with an unpopular thud and good news for fliers to Dallas out of Meadows Field

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.

 * ... SMART ENERGY POLICY? If you live in the oil patch, as we do, then you have to be scratching your head over President Biden's energy policy. As the administration continues to wage its war on fossil fuels and U.S. energy companies, the administration is now cutting a deal with the tyrants who run

Venezuela to increase production in return for the U.S. loosening sanctions. Wouldn't it make more sense to use U.S. produced energy, made in the U.S.A. and produced by American citizens instead of doing business with avowed enemies of our country? This comes on top of Biden begging OPEC to increase production, which they rejected. Wouldn't it make more sense to lift the restrictions on domestic oil and gas consumption so the jobs (and energy) stay here? Go figure.

 * ... HOMELESS ISSUES: It must suck to be City Councilman Andrae Gonzales sometimes. You represent Ward 2, which encompasses the downtown area where drugs, crime, vagrancy and homelessness have been out of control for too many years now to count. Whatever he has tried - better coordination with local businesses, private security and million-dollar new homeless shelters - hasn't worked. And now Gonzales is pushing an ordinance forcing businesses to securely lock their dumpsters so the homeless will stop setting the fires that have become all too common. But Gonzales immediately ran into a wall of protests from the very people he serves, downtown business owners who see this as yet another Band-Aid approach to a serious issue. It must have stung when Cassie Bittle, whose family runs KC Steakhouse and a woman who has become the voice of a frustrated business class downtown, posted this on Facebook as a response to his idea: "We've tried the locks, gravity bars, and fancy lids. Only other option is a cage which takes up space and construction for a business that has functioned without issue for over 50 years at the same location," she said. "There was no issue with homeless taking the bottles and cans until the lawlessness started...  Fixing a symptom of the issue not the root cause. AND we'll have three dumpsters to secure here pretty soon to meet new state regulations...why not throw a city ordinance in the mix.  Hope this grant doesn't make a $5,000 private project turn into a $50,000 publicly funded dumpster disaster." The only thing that is clear is this: the city's inability to deal with a very real crisis - and if you doubt it's a crisis have a chat with Cassie Bittle - has been a dismal failure. Half hearted ideas like putting the burden on businesses to secure their dumpsters are too little, too late.

 * ... MORE HOMELESS TROUBLE: If you are a regular cyclist, or runner, you know the Coffee Road underpass of the Kern River bike path is often flooded and can be extremely dangerous. But why? The area is not near water and you certainly can't blame the rain. Well now it comes to pass that we know the answer: according to what one city maintenance worker told a fellow cyclist, a homeless woman has been breaking the sprinkler heads on the irrigation lines to bathe, allowing the water to run freely and flood the pedestrian and cycling path. How does that make you feel about your community?

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: There's some good news for those of us who fly out of Meadows Field. American Airlines has announced it is increasing its capacity between Bakersfield and Dallas by using an Air Bus 319 instead of the smaller CRJ 900. That means there will be a full first-class seating and other amenities like WiFi and better air conditioning. The new service starts this week.

* ... MEMORIES: Take a look at this old saloon, located in the space now occupied by Jerry's Pizza, that appeared on the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

States across the country look at slashing taxes to help consumers, but California opts out... gas prices soar to record high levels and Canyon Hills Assembly of God sends relief to Poland to help Ukrainian refugees

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.

 * ... LOWER TAXES? Have you noticed there is a movement across the country to reduce taxes due to bloated state revenue coffers and international uncertainty with the war in Ukraine? It's not happening here in California of course, but at least 13 states with surpluses - among them Georgia, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, New York and Connecticut - are looking at tax relief. The notable exception of course is

California where Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democrats are enjoying record surpluses but are refusing to consider any kind of meaningful tax relief. How about reducing the state auto registration fee for a year or two? Or cut the state gas tax, at least temporarily? In Sacramento, Republicans are pushing for a six month pause in the state tax on gasoline - that would reduce the price by 51 cents a gallon - but don't bet on that happening.

 * ... RUSSIAN OIL BAN:  President Joe Biden announced a ban on importing Russian oil and natural gas today but he stopped short of opening the way for California and other producers to pump more to fill in the gap. The United States imports about 637,000 gallons of Russian oil a day, or about 8 percent of our total usage, and the move is bound to raise gas prices even further. Meanwhile local politicians continue to press for more California oil production, but that is not likely to happen. So brace yourself for shock at the gas pump.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Celebrate International Women's Day by interrupting men with your unsolicited opinions and taking credit for their work. If they get upset about it, be sure to tell them that they sound hysterical and should probably smile more."

* ... FINALLY! Has Gov. Gavin Newsom finally awakened to the threat of having so many mentally challenged and other dangerous people on our streets? Perhaps, at least according to his latest proposal to offer more services to homeless people with severe mental health and addiction disorders even if that means forcing some into care, a move that many advocates of homeless people oppose as a violation of civil rights. The proposal by Newsom would require all counties to set up a mental health branch in civil court and provide comprehensive and community-based treatment to those suffering from debilitating psychosis.

 * ... COPS FOR PARKS: Hats off to the Bakersfield City Council for doing the right thing by creating a new unit to provide security in our public parks. The program will cost $2.4 million a year and comes after parks employees have been accosted and random citizens have grown increasingly frustrated with drug addicts, criminals and the homeless taking over local parks. Few people like to see the size of government grow, but it is well past time that the city of Bakersfield put the welfare of its law abiding citizens on par with those who so flagrantly violate the rules.

 * ... FAREWELL PASTOR ROBIN: Pastor Robin Robinson of Canyon Hills Assembly of God is being transferred back to Oklahoma where she has family, ending a remarkable period of influence for the woman who became the public face of CityServe, an organization devoted to helping the needy as well as the homeless. Perhaps due to her good nature, professionalism and honesty, Robinson was the rare public figure who gained the trust and respect of all sides in her work for CityServe. And her departure comes at an interesting time after CityServe announced a new project of affordable housing near its F Street headquarters, a move that has triggered opposition from some residents in the Westchester neighborhood.

 * ... UKRAINE AID: Speaking of Canyon Hills, did you hear lead Pastor Wendell Vinson and others from CityServe were in Poland where they flew with tons of meals for the thousands of Ukrainian refugees? Hats off to Vinson and his CityServe team for responding to a global crisis with people in dire need.

 * ... MEMORIES: From the Kern County History Fans comes this shot of an old market in Taft.

County CAO Ryan Alsop invites the city to explore a partnership on its homeless shelter, one of the killers of an elderly east Bakersfield woman may be paroled and the San Francisco 49ers show some real class to the family of Christopher Kreiser

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 reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company.


 * ... AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE? Here's an offer that just might be too hard to refuse. County chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop has invited the city to partner with the county in building a low barrier homeless shelter off Golden State. The county is well on the way to opening

the facility, which will eventually feature 150 beds, while the city has been dickering for months about finding a location. During an open ended discussion on The Richard Beene Show, Alsop invited the city to join with the county in operating one joint facility, instead of two competing ones. The advantages: the city could avoid getting into the shelter business, it would avoid ponying up millions for land and it would not have to worry about angering neighborhoods who don't want a shelter near homes. Ward 1 City Councilman Willie Rivera has long wanted to explore a partnership, while City Manager Alan Tandy and Ward 2 Councilman Andrae Gonzales are pushing for the city to buy land on East Brundage at the Calcot plant to erect its own shelter.

 * ... LOW BARRIER SHELTER: Meanwhile as the city dickers, the county shelter is well under construction and could open as early as February. Alsop said the construction of the facility, located off Golden State on a parcel of county land, will open either in late January or early February. The facility will be called a Low Barrier Navigation Center and will be run by staff of the Community Action Partnership of Kern.

* ... PROP 57: Here is yet another example of the unexpected consequences of the passage of Prop 57: a young lady who was involved in the brutal death of a helpless 81-year-old woman is about to be released from prison. That's right Katila Nash, convicted of taking part in the murder when she was 15 years old, is set to be released from prison any day now.  If you remember, Nash acted as a lookout when she and two other teenagers entered the house of Dorothy Sessions in east Bakersfield and brutally killed her. She wasn't eligible for patrol until 2030 but thanks to Prop 57, she is now eligible for release.

 * ... BAD FORM: Shame on the Kern County Fair board for its lack of discretion in spending lavishly on lobster meals and booze, and now a state agency says its has to make suitable reimbursements. According to KGET, which broke the original story, the California Department of Food snd Agriculture (CDFA) is tracking an auditor's recommendations on action taken against CEO Mike Alcott, a deputy manager and a maintenance supervisor. The auditor also noted that members of the fair board have agreed to repay $1,259 for alcohol purchases. How did we get here anyway? Board chairwoman Blodgie Rodriguez should explain that instead of dodging the cameras. When the auditor reveals what board members have repaid for what, we will report it here.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "You know what’s more annoying than cops? People who buy old refurbished cop cars and keep the spotlight attached. We all hate you."

 * ... CHRISTOPHER KREISER: Hats off to the ownership of the San Francisco 49ers for showing some real class, and love, for a Bakersfield man who died of cancer a year ago. In memory of Christopher Kreiser and his love of the 49ers, his wife Katie, their children and friends attended last week's 49ers game against the Atlanta Falcons and were granted field access by the team owners. Rick Kreiser, Christopher's father, said the 49ers went out of their way to recognize Christopher and his fight against lymphoma.

 * ... MEMORIES: And who remembers the old Bakersfield Inn on Union Avenue. Just take a look at what it once was.

Will Lyle Martin run for Sheriff, H.A. Sala confronts David Abassi at a local political fund raiser, street racing in Bakersfield, the Yard House opens in the Southwest and the original owners of Guthrie's on Guadalcanal during World War II

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 reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company. 

 * ... ELECTIONS: As we head into a colossal election year, both on the national and local level, there is lot of movement as potential candidates start positioning themselves to make the run - or not.  One of the hottest rumors around town is that retiring Bakersfield police chief Lyle Martin may be

eyeing a run for Kern County Sheriff once Donny Youngblood retires at the end of his term. Martin will join the District Attorney's Office as chief investigator and word is he is considering a run for Sheriff if Youngblood retires as expected in two years. Martin's entry into the Sheriff's race would turn it on its head, and he would immediately be crowned the front runner. On the Board of Supervisors, Emilio Huerta held a fund raiser last week in his bid to unseat Supervisor David Couch, and Mayor Karen Goh has two challengers in her bid for reelection. Looking farther down the road, Supervisor Mike Maggard has not indicated if he will retire when his term expires in two years, but if he does Jeff Flores is expected to enter that race. Flores serves on the Kern High School District board and is chief of staff to Maggard. Another name being talked about for Maggard's seat is Louis Gill, the director of the Bakersfield Homeless Center. Gill notes he has his hands full preparing to move the homeless center (the site was purchased by the High Speed Rail Authority) so this may be wishful thinking by Gill's supporters. But his entry into the race should not be taken lightly: he has the name recognition and gravitas to make a serious run.
 MY PREDICTIONS: It's far too early to make predictions, but for the fun of it here is what I see: Mayor Goh easily wins reelection, Couch handily turns back Huerta and Martin enters the Sheriff's race and waltzes to an easy victory.
 SHERIFF'S RACE: Two other names said to be eyeing the Sherif's race are Shafter police chief Kevin Zimmerman and Brian Smith, a retired California Highway Patrol officer.
 DUST UP: Did you hear about the confrontation between cannabis promoter David Abassi and defense attorney H.A. Sala last week at the fund raiser for Emilio Huerta? Abassi showed up at the fund raiser - held at Sala's Bakersfield Country Club home - unannounced and was quickly confronted by Sala. (Remember, Sala is defending Supervisor Leticia Perez who has had a long beef with Abassi) I am told Sala told him to leave his house, several times, which Abassi finally did. Later, Abassi claimed on Facebook that Sala pushed him down the stairs and basically assaulted him. Too bad for Abassi but I am told Sala's security cameras captured the whole thing and Sala is now considering having Abassi charged with filing a false police report.

 * ... STREET RACING: Take a good look at Israel Maldonado. Is he the new poster child for street racing in Bakersfield? This is a grown adult, a 34-year-old man who should be well on the path to a successful life, yet prosecutors claim he was racing another car at more than 100 mph on a busy Ming Avenue when one vehicle slammed into another car, killing a woman. The judge ordered Maldonado to surrender his license and stay away from establishments that serve alcohol. Maldonado pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter and three misdemeanors at his arraignment before Judge Rick Brown The Californian said Maldonado was driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck when he allegedly began racing a Ford Mustang driven by Ronald Pierce Jr. on Old River Road in southwest Bakersfield on Nov. 24, according to police reports. Pierce struck a minivan, police said, sending it into the path of an oncoming crane truck, killing the driver, Maria Blaney Navarro, 58, of Bakersfield, and seriously injuring her two grandchildren.

 * ... SEASON GREETINGS: Only in Kern County would you find a holiday light display with a little attitude.

* ... YARD HOUSE: The new Yard House restaurant opens today (Monday) on Stockdale Highway, and you can expect a typical Bakersfield welcome: standing room only. The new eatery will open daily at 11 a.m. and will feature a regular Saturday and Sunday brunch. General manager Brian Cable says the Yard House is known for its selection of more than 100 craft beers, and the restaurant features a little bit of everything: steaks, fish, burgers, vegetarian and vegan options and burgers.

* ... HOMELESSNESS: Just how fed up are we with the vagrant issue? Just look at this post I spotted on Facebook and the accompanying pictures. "This is fun having to deal with on a daily basis.  Congregating on my property again. I just spent a-whole lot of money cleaning it up. I’m getting tired of this crap. When I asked them to leave one man threatened to throw his soda on me. This Has to stop!"

 * ... MISSION EXPANSION: But there is good news, and it came last week when ground breaking was held to add a 40-bed facility to the Mission of Kern County. Mayor Karen Goh joined Mission director Carlos Baldovinos in the ground breaking ceremony. It's only 40 beds but it is a good start.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this photo from World War II involving the original owners of Guthrie's. The caption reads: "Jack and Shorty Guthrie the original owners of Guthrie's Alley Cat in the late 40's. It was called Oscar's Alley Cat in 1940. Later Papa Jack sold the Cat to his son-in-law and opened the Skylark Lounge in Oildale across from Meadows Field until he retired and his son Jack took over. I worked there for both, 6 different times, and adored them, so very much."