Bitwise Industries furloughs its employees and misses paychecks, California declares war on Skittles and the exodus of businesses from downtown continues

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.

 * ... RIP BITWISE? In the end, it all seemed like a too-good-to-be-true sales pitch: high tech firm comes to town, an attention starved community rallies around it like a savior, governments provide contracts and loans and then - puff - it is gone. Bitwise, the Fresno based company that swept into town with great fanfare and a business plan that few understood, has furloughed all its employees amid financial problems. The tech incubator announced on Memorial Day that it was furloughing its employees and it set no date when it might be back in

business. The SJV Sun reported issues with employee payroll checks and questions over whether the company had made its 401(k) contributions. In other words, the company is in a mess of trouble and it's safe to say Bitwise never lived up to its lofty goals of training our workforce for the next generation. In fact, the whole Bitwise story has been curious to some, including the fact that Bitwise trumpeted that it recently received an $80 million infusion of investment cash from the likes of Goldman Sachs and Citibank. Shortly after that, Bitwise listed three of its properties in Bakersfield were up for sale with a leaseback. Was it a matter of too much growth too soon? Or a business plan that simply didn't live up to its billing? Or a little of both? Stay tuned.

* ... RIP SKITTLES? So did you hear the California legislature has taken aim at the popular candy Skittles? That's right, the state has moved to ban some food additives that are found in Skittles - a coloring agent and Red 3, commonly used in packaged candy. The bill has been called the "Skittles ban" and has triggered a debate over precisely how dangerous the additives are. Opponents of the bill think this is the turf of the Food and Drug Administration, while critics argue that Skittles has plenty of alternatives if it wants to keep the snake in the market.

 * ... NAP TIME: You just never know what you will see on the streets of Bakersfield these days. Longtime reader Patsy Ann Ary submitted this photo of someone catching a nap, on a mattress, on South Union. Seriously. And there you have it.

 * ... DOWNTOWN EXODUS: There is a slow but steady exodus of businesses out of the downtown area, which remains a haven for vagrants, the mentally ill, the homeless and criminals despite the city's best efforts to restore some sense of order and safety. Stories of businesses spending hundreds and thousands of dollars to repair broken windows or report lost merchandise are simply too many to count. Add to that dangers at the local theater, where a patron at the Maya Cinemas downtown came back to his truck to find the tailgate stolen. One of the latest victims: Front Porch music where thieves made off with custom guitars and amplifiers. Below is a list of some of the guitars and other gear stolen from Front Porch music. Good look finding this stuff.

 * ... IN-N-OUT:  The beloved burger of the Golden State, In-N-Out Burger, is planning to expand to Tennessee by 2026. The Baldwin Park based company also said it would establish a corporate office in Tennessee. “We get a lot of requests in different states to open, and I’m very happy to meet the customers here and make their dreams come true,” said Lynsi Snyder, the company’s owner and granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder, at a news conference with Tennessee’s governor.

 * ... PICTURE OF THE DAY: Another couple of outstanding pictures from local photographer JoJo Parades Putingan.

 * ... MEMORIES: And finally a picture of flooding from the old days thanks to our friends at Kern County History Fans.

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.

A younger, more diverse group of leaders take office following our elections, the city cracks down on neglectful landlords and the undefeated 1993 Roadrunners are honored

 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.

 * ... NEW CITY ORDINANCE: Will cracking down  on absentee landlords downtown help curtail fires and other vandalism that has plagued our community? Well City Councilman Andrae Gonzales believes so

and the council voted unanimously for a new ordinance that will use code enforcement to make sure the buildings are in compliance. It's hard to argue with this approach, but it is worth noting it does absolutely nothing to deal with the root problem of homelessness. And while it is a cure for the symptom, not the problem itself, a homeless-weary community should welcome this approach.

 * ... MEANWHILE, AT RIVERWALK: While the city dickers with how to reach absentee landlords, life on our streets goes on as usual. In the picture here a sharp reader captured a homeless encampment just yards from the Park at RiverWalk - arguably the nicest park in town - where a generator hummed away and the residents enjoyed the park for bathing, begging and "borrowing" useful objects not bolted to the ground.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My husband went to a lawyer luncheon thing and the lawyer he sat beside turned out to be my ex boyfriend from college. When they realized the connection he told my husband, 'She always had me laughing. Is she still funny?' And my sweet husband said, “Not in the slightest.”

 * ... CITY COUNCIL: The new additions to the Bakersfield City Council represent a further changing of the guard, as many of our older more "seasoned" office holders begin to step aside to make way for a new generation of leaders. Two of the three council members sworn  in this week are under 30; Ward 1's Eric Arias is 26 and Ward 7's Manpreet Kaur is just 29. Robert Smith was the third council person sworn in, and he is 67. Ken Weir, another longer term councilman, is 66 years hold. Over on the Board of Supervisors, retiring Supervisor Mike Maggard is 63 and his successor, Jeff Flores, is 51. (Californian photo of Arias, Smith and Kaur)

 * ... PAPER PLANE COFFEE: A new coffee show specializing in the intense flavors of Cuban beans has opened downtown, the latest in a string of new retailers to open on the evolving "eastChester" zone. Called PaperPlane Coffee and located at 819 19th Street, the store is owned by Army veteran Hector Miranda who runs it along with his girl friend, Margaret. PaperPlance also offers Cuban pastries and custom cookies. And now, opened less than a month, Miranda said he is being forced to rename the coffee shop after he learned the "PaperPlane" name and logo is already in use in another market. Miranda is considering "Adventure Coffee Shop."

 * ... CSUB ROAD RUNNERS: The 1993 CSUB men's basketball squad, winners of a national championship and a perfect 33-0 record under Coach Pat Douglass, has been selected for the Bob Elias Hall of Fame. It will be first time ever that a team, rather than an individual, has been admitted to the Hall of Fame.

 * ... MEMORIES: This is one of best pictures I have found of the original Beale Clock Tower before the 1952 earthquake partially destroyed it.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And who remember's Booth's appliances on F Street? This photo from the Kern County of Old shows us what it looked like back in the day.

Supervisor candidate Brian Smith proclaims himself a MAGA election denier, Valadao and Salas in one of the most expensive congressional races in the nation and waking up to find the homeless and their carts setting up in your neighborhood

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.

 * ... ELECTION DENIER: Here's an intriguing question in the campaign between Jeff Flores and Brian Smith in the 3rd District Supervisor race: now that Smith has admitted to being an election denier, will it affect the race? Smith, a retired assistant commander with the CHP, said he believed the election was

stolen under questioning by KGET anchor Jim Scott during a televised debate last week. Asked if he had proof, Smith could not produce it (he mentioned something about "30,000 ballots in Torrance" but failed to explain its relevance) and clumsily talked his way through without answering the question. Asked the same question, Flores said he did not believe the election was stolen, saying he didn't believe in conspiracy theories and chose instead to talk about his commitment to family and community. Smith, who always planned to run for Sheriff until Donny Youngblood chose to run again, opted enter the 3rd District after Mike Maggard announced his retirement. Flore is Maggard's chief of staff, and he also has experience on the Kern High School District. So will having a conspiracy theorist in the race help or hurt Smith? Stay tuned.

 * ... SALAS VERSUS VALADAO: Rep. David Valadao is the lone Republican congressman left who voted to impeach President Trump; all the rest have either been defeated by pro Trump candidates in the primary or chosen not to run for reelection. This year, Democrats have targeted the seat and have put up Assemblyman Rudy Salas as their candidate. I ran into Salas at a fund raiser for Leticia Perez, who is running for 35th Assembly seat, and Salas said the 21st Congressional District race is now the second most expensive congressional race in the country. I bet it becomes the most expensive congressional race in America. 

* ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: Here is a random posting (I am omitting who posted it for privacy reasons) which has become all too familiar in our community. The resident wakes up and finds a homeless person with all his belongings in his neighborhood. Think for a second how this visual pollution of homelessness and the real threat of spiking crime and out of control vagrancy has had on our community. It has rendered us anxious, angry, uncertain and worried about the value of our property and belongings. That is the real toll of allowing the surge of drug addiction and homelessness to run rampant in our community while we sit idly and blame the state, doing virtually nothing to impede the homeless from using our public sidewalks as their personal toilet and sleeping area. The caption on this picture: "On my morning walk. Coming to your neighborhood soon . Reporting live from WEBFUKD."

* ... COSTCO HOT DOG:  Here's some good news for inflation weary consumers and it comes compliments of Costco. The company has told analysts that it has no plans to raise the price of its $1.50 hotdog combo special despite the squeeze on profits. Costco chief financial officer Richard Galanti was asked about both the hot dog combo meal and the $4.99 rotisserie chicken, and he assured analysts that at least at this time, the prices will not go up.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: A Maya Angelou quote worth sharing:

 

 * ... MEMORIES: Here are two nuggets from the Facebook page of the Kern County History Fans, always a joy to spend a morning with. Enjoy.

Restless downtown business owners and residents say the recent bike path mugging of a cyclist is indicative of a crime wave not being addressed, former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner to speak at Hoffmanns Voices of Inspiration and remembering the old Joss House

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.

 * ... CRIME AND SAFETY: The recent mugging of a local businessman on the Kern River bike path, coupled with the unrelenting wave of petty crime, theft and vandalism downtown, is leading many people to wonder if we have lost the war on homelessness, crime and vagrancy. The story of Frank Marr, the 57-year-old man mugged last week by two young men on the bike path, is illustrative of how ineffective our policies and rhetoric have become. The only place where Marr's mugging has been mentioned is on this

blog, begging the question: are we so immune to violence now that our local TV stations, our local newspaper and our city officials no longer deem a bike path mugging newsworthy? And did Marr hear from Ward 2 City Councilman Andrae Gonzales after he was sent to the hospital with his injuries? Did Gonzales, whose ward has the worse homeless and crime problem in the city, even address it publicly? The answer is "no" to both. (To be fair we can't expect the councilman to check on every crime victim but it would have shown good form here) For Gonzales, his cross to bear is representing the ward most impacted by crime and homelessness. No one blames Andrae for the crime wave, but they do judge how he reacts and what he does, and many frustrated downtown businesses are weary of hearing about affordable housing and "having patience" when they are losing their livelihoods. The real issue here is this: yes we have a housing issue but we also have a very serious crime issue, and a one-size-all approach is not working. The young men who mugged Frank Marr likely do not need housing, nor do the vagrants who break out windows, defecate on sidewalks or harass passersby. So while we work the affordable housing angle, crime continues to spike and stories like the one involving Frank Marr may become more common. When you are Frank Marr, you might see it as exactly what it was: a midday mugging at the hands of two young criminals. Sometimes things are just as simple as they look.

 * ... POLITICAL BLOWBACK: One thing seems certain, and that is local business owners and residents are long past being weary over the crime and filth that has descended across town. While many of these issues were born in Sacramento when the Legislature passed laws making many crimes misdemeanors, the responsibility of safe streets remains with local government, in this case our City Council. Listen to some of the voices from residents in response to the Marr bike path mugging.

---  "It doesn't surprise me. I also experienced group of guys on small motor bikes and quads try to push me to the shoulder. When I wouldn't move out of the way they got pissed. Thankfully they didn't pursue me I stood my ground. Things could of ended differently. In Dallas officers patrol the bike paths on bicycles or in this instance an ebike would work as well."

 ---  "Shame on the Supervisors, city officials (Mayor Goh) and the Governator for allowing one of the few recreational options we have to become unsafe. I see the tents snd vagrants everyday when I cross the river bridge at Chester, along the river at Golden State Highway. and have thought to myself, there is no way I would go on the path like I used to. It makes me sad and angry to see what the officials have allowed to happen in our community. "

--- "The city council keeps assuring us that we don't have a homeless problem. This is getting completely out of hand. Westchester and downtown are overrun with them. They are allowed to take over our city parks and everyone turns a blind eye. They build bonfires, throw trash everywhere, defecate and urinate, discard drug paraphernalia, and wander our streets at all hours of the night screaming and shouting obscenities. A few well-meaning organizations disperse toiletries, water and food to them while they are trespassing and committing these criminal acts. The BPD's hands are tied and the agencies that are supposed to address these issues never return phone calls. Unless we want our city to become like the dredges of SF, LA, Washington DC and Seattle, we need to get a handle on it."

 --- "If this was in Haggin Oaks, or any other nice area of town, I guarantee it would be taken care of so fast your head would spin."

 --- "I wish Andrae (councilman Gonzales) was as enthusiastic about fighting crime as he is about buying that train depot on Baker Street. I mean, really Andrae?"

 --- "We have to advocate for ourselves. Our leaders don’t care."

 --- "Not too sure what the Board of Supervisors can do since almost all of these incidents are almost exclusively within the city limits of Bakersfield. What happened to all of the Measure N money that was going to keep Bakersfield safe? All one has to do is drive through downtown during the day or in the evening and you drive right through not wishing to stop due to the things you see. Drive across the Kern River on Golden State Avenue and look to the north and to the south and you can see warming fires throughout the riverbed and there's no response from the city of Bakersfield. Try lighting your fireplace in the house you pay taxes on and the air quality resources board will be giving you a ticket."

 * ... VOICES OF INSPIRATION: Hoffmann Hospice has announced that former National Football League quarterback Kurt Warner will be the keynote speaker at this year's Voices of Inspiration gala set for Sept. 22. Last year's event was canceled due to Covid (former president George Bush and wife Laura were set to appear) and in the past Hoffmann has featured such luminaries as actor Mark Wahlberg, swimmer Michael Phelps, Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell and actor Michael J. Fox.

* ... GOODBYE PEP BOYS: One of the landmark businesses downtown, Pep Boys at the corner of F Street and 23rd Street, has been sold to Advance Auto Parts. The building is currently undergoing renovation. No date yet for the opening of the new business.

 * ... MEMORIES: The Kern County History Fans group has a Facebook page that is a gold mine for history lovers. Enjoy these two nuggets I saw on their Facebook page, and enjoy our local history.

 * ... JOSS HOUSE: And finally there is this little piece of history from the Kern County of Old Facebook page celebrating the old Joss House. "On April 19, 1903, a tragic shoot out between town marshals and outlaw Jim McKinney, took place at the Chinese Joss House, on L Street between 20th and 21st Streets. Two marshals and McKinney were killed as a result of the action. The Joss House was a religious shrine, clubhouse, tong headquarters, and rooming house. It was an awkward looking building with porches on first and second floors. The building in the foreground of this picture was a general merchandise store, with the Joss House in the background. This photograph was taken immediately after the shooting.