Hundreds expect to show up to support the oil and gas industry before the Board of Supervisors, will the city ever make up its mind on a homeless shelter, and a crackdown on street racing nets some arrests

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.

 * ... THE FUTURE OF OIL: If you are concerned about the future of our community, as well as the long history of Kern County and fossil fuels, pay attention to the Tuesday meeting of the Board of

Supervisors. It will be there when a group of state energy regulators, as well as a representative of Gov. Gavin Newsom's office, will get an earful from local residents about the importance of oil and natural gas to our community. Expect to hear about Big Oil's safety record, its adoption of best practices, its commitment to solar and other forms of alternative energy, and its role in providing well paying jobs to thousands of people in an economically distressed part of the state.

 * ... THE HOMELESS: Meanwhile, over at the city there seems to be a clear lack of consensus on how to move forward to combat homelessness. Does Ward 2 Councilman Andrae Gonzales have the votes to approve the purchase of 17 acres of land on East Brundage for a homeless shelter? Does Ward 1 Councilman Willie Rivera have the votes to block it? Or, as some people fear, will the city drop the whole idea of building its own shelter and partner with Kern County on its low barrier shelter off Golden State? That shelter, meanwhile, is well under way and will open in February.

 * ... MORE DECISIONS: The city of Bakersfield faces two more big decisions this month: it is expected to name new City Manager to replace Alan Tandy at its Jan. 22 meeting, and the new city manager will then face the task of appointing a new police chief to replace Lyle Martin.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Common sense is like deodorant; those who need it most don’t use it.":

 * ... STREET RACING: It's nice to see that Bakersfield police are cracking on street racing across town, an epidemic that has already cost the life of one woman during a crash on Ming Avenue near Old River Road. Over the weekend, police officers conducted sweeps Saturday night into early Sunday morning, stopping 18 cars and issuing 10 citations. Two people were arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto.

 * ... OUR WORLD: Check out this lovely picture from the Panorama Bluffs, taken by hiker Esther Brandon on her early Sunday hike. And who says Bakersfield's isn't beautiful?

 * ... STOLEN CAR: How many of us live with the nightmare that our vehicles will be stolen in the middle of the night? Here is what happens, compliments of a post in the "Bakersfield Thieves" Facebook page. The caption reads: "My poor Car... door panels removed 2 missing, wheel and tires missing, speakers missing. Battery gone. Dog hair and starburst candy rappers inside. Got into my car with a slim jim. Found on the east side 604 Tanner street."

 * ... MEMORIES: I am stunned by these two old pictures of Kern County back in the day, compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

Is Arvin Mayor Jose Gurrola the most hated man on campus because of his opposition to oil and gas drilling? And more on those initiatives heading to the ballot box in November

Monday, July 2, 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 place. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com. 

 * ... SALES TAX: How do you feel about the proposed 1 percent increase in the local sales tax? The city promotes it as a way to beef up public safety, but others see it as a way to meet pension obligations for legions of retirees. I spoke with City Manager Alan Tandy recently and he said it

would allow the city to hire 100 more police officers, plus about 60 civilians to support those officers on the streets. In addition, he said it would allow the city fire department to get back to old levels with the addition of some 15 firemen. That is a powerful argument for those of us who believe we need more boots on the ground so to speak, but will it be enough to convince residents to vote yes? Time will tell.

 * ... NOVEMBER BALLOT: The local sales tax question is just one of a number of important initiatives that will be on the November ballot. Prop 6 will ask voters if they want to repeal the huge state gas tax that went into effect a few months ago, there will be two and possibly three marijuana initiatives on the ballot in Kern County (all would allow the sale of medicinal marijuana) and Californians will also be asked if they want to break the state up into three separate states. Even if that last one passes, it only has the slightest chance to become law, but it will be fun to watch.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My husband got barbecue sauce on my mom’s favorite white tablecloth. For five whole minutes I wasn’t the biggest disappointment in her life."

 * ... MOST HATED MAN ON CAMPUS: Who is the most hated man in Bakersfield? If you are in the oil industry, it must be Arvin Mayor Jose Gurrola who joined with several other liberal mayors in demanding that California end oil and gas production. That's right, a mayor from one of the most productive oil and gas regions in the country goes to Sacramento to tell Gov. Jerry Brown that we need to shutter an industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs to people in Kern County. So is this political naivete or simply grand standing by a 20ish politician who should know better? Take your pick but you can bet he is in the political crosshairs of the very people he is trying to destroy.

 * ... CRIME: Want to know how bad crime has gotten around here? Then listen to the latest scam, which apparently has already send one young man to the hospital. It happened a few days ago at the Park at RiverWalk where a young women approached two college aged men late in the evening. The woman appeared distressed and needing help. When the men stopped to help, they were viciously attacked by two other masked men wielding baseball bats. One of the joggers was left seriously injured and the attackers made off with the cell phones of the victims. Apparently this scam is going on around town, and police are telling people to be wary of women "in distress." This has happened at least twice, once in at RiverWalk and a second time off the bike trail near Manor.

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers The Plunge off Union Avenue? Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy this photo.

When Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio aren't making millions acting, they are lobbying to shut down all oil and gas exploration in California, and access is being curtailed to the local Jar Trail

 * ... HOLLYWOOD: As if the oil and gas industry didn't have enough to worry about, now comes a group of Hollywood celebrities who are pushing to end all oil production in California by the year 2030. That's right, actor Mark Ruffalo is leading the push, engaging other celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio, Norman Lear, Rashida Jones and Diane Kruger to pressure the governor. According to a story in the magazine Good by writer Tina Daunt, Ruffalo said: “If Governor Brown is going to walk around saying that he is a climate-change hero, then by God, we are going to hold him to his word,” says Ruffalo, who has formed a group called Hollywood United for a Healthy California with “a goal of freeing California from oil and gas extraction.” Once again hydraulic fracturing, which state regulators and even the EPA has declared as safe as practiced in California, is the convenient boogyman for the anti fossil fuel crowd. (Photo courtesy of Good magazine)

* ... JAR TRAIL: If you are thinking of climbing the Jar Trail at the mouth of the Kern River canyon, beware that you might be trespassing on private property. According to James Nickel, whose family owns extensive acreage on both sides of road, hikers have been destroying fences, littering and even painting graffiti on rocks so he and other property owners are going to close off access to the Jar Trail. It's near impossible to access the trail without trespassing, so this decision may bring an end to the popular hike. Nickel called it "regrettable" but in the end said the property owners "had no choice."

 * ... GOOD ADVICE: I was struck by this quote attributed to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in talking about her late friend Justice Anthony Scalia: "He told me he attacks ideas, not people." Seems like good advice this election year.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Some people are like Slinkys … not really good for anything, but you can’t help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.'

 * ... KERO TV: More management upheaval in the local television market: Pete Noll is out at as vice president and general manager of the Scripps-owned KERO (23) TV station. Scripps ousted Noll along with a human resources director and the head of promotions. No word on who will succeed Noll. Loll lasted at KERO TV less than a year.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Christine Christensen was with four "senior ladies" enjoying a lunch at the Hidden Cafe downtown when a stranger picked up the tab for their meals. "He held the door open for us, we thanked him and told him he was a gentleman and to thank his mother ... When we thanked our server and asked for our bill she told us the gentleman had paid for all five. To our Knight in Shining Armor, a big thank you."

House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy: lifting the ban on exporting oil allows producers to search for new markets as Iran enters the global energy market

 House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "Over forty years ago, the United States responded to an oil supply crisis driven by Iran and the

Middle East by instituting a ban on American exports of crude oil. The reasoning was simple: given the conventional wisdom that oil was a resource of limited supply, any discovery of it in the U.S. should be kept within our borders for the use and benefit of our economy. With this acknowledgment we were essentially bracing for a world without oil.

 "But like so many other instances, American ingenuity rejected this belief.  The advent of innovative techniques and technologies that uncovered and extracted newly found oil and gas has reshaped America’s energy future into a world leader. A game changer.

"A focal point of this influence continues to be right here in Kern County.  Our ties to the black gold that powers our way of life run deep. This is why my commitment to a strong American oil and gas portfolio is steadfast.  I believe that greater times of prosperity in this country can only be achieved if we have the energy to achieve it.

"So while the U.S. has flexed its energy muscle to the world (and quite impressively so) the economics have been a boon to consumers but is placing our producers and the communities they support in perilous times. Unfortunately, our community is not exempt from these conditions.

 "Given the economic situation, the domestic abundance, and the reentry of Iran to global marketplace thanks to Obama’s dangerous nuclear pact, the most obvious policy response was to lift the relic that is the ban on crude exports. In doing so our producers can search for new markets while offering our allies a reliable trading partner and limiting the influence the Iranian regime can impose on the world.


 "This week, Congress successfully lifted the ban on oil exports, which the President is expected to sign into law. This decision signals to the world and our communities that Congress ready to do all that it can to support a strong energy future and stronger communities.

The oil sector and environmentalists square off at Vision for the Valley at Bakersfield College, more rants on climate change and and some really bad form at a local Target

 * ... ENERGY PANEL: Can you envision a time when the Kern River oil field is shuttered and its wells capped? It's hard for me to fathom, given the abundance of affordable oil and natural gas here, but the

Natural Resources Defense Council thinks that should be our ultimate goal. That was the word from NRDC's Victoria Rome, a legislative advocate who appeared on an energy panel at Bakersfield College Tuesday morning. Rome's organization has long been at loggerheads with energy companies, arguing for a full moratorium on hydraulic fracturing and an accelerated timeline to end our use of fossil fuels to help combat global warming. Tupper Hull, vice president of the Western States Petroleum Association, argued that fossil fuels should always have a place in our world, even at a diminished state, and he lamented how oil companies have become demonized in the conversation about climate change. The event was organized by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce and TBC Media and was held in the Simonsen Performing Arts Center.

 * ... SIMONSEN: And speaking of the Simonsen, this was my first visit to the relatively new performing arts center and it is a stunning venue. If you are a BC graduate and haven't been in the Simonsen, stop by to catch this new addition to your campus.

 * ... BAD FORM: Don't you hate it when people leave used napkins and other trash in their shopping carts? Well it just got worse. At the local Target near East Hills Mall, someone left a soiled paper plate with uneaten food and - yes, you guessed it - a dirty diaper perched on the cart handle, leaving it for the next person to discard in a trash bin just a few feet away.

 * ... TRASH: And speaking of litter, reader Nancy Vibe recently took matters into her own hands. In her words: "I just thought I would fill you in on a rather interesting and fun day I had. I made room
in the trunk of my Buick... then I gathered up my tools of the day (trade). Lets see, one long handle flat edge hoe, one small metal ladder and a pair of garden gloves. And off I went... I filled that trunk in no less than 20 minutes. And it was full too. Of what  you ask? Those hideous plastic signs that are nailed up on telephone poles, or stuck in the ground with wire supports. The ones that read 'Diabetic test strips' or  'Part time jobs from your home' or 'I will buy your house.' The really fun part is taking a razor to them and slicing them up, never to be used again. My point...  IT'S GRAFFITI  PEOPLE! Take is down, rip it up. No one has been given permission to put these tacky, invasive and useless signs up around Bakersfield."

 * ... CLIMATE CHANGE: Dan McGuire responded to an earlier post from a reader casting doubt about climate change. Here is his take: "When you share your reader’s rants I’m not sure if you’re making fun of their ignorance or showing your own. Your posting of Joe’s rant about climate change was even below par. The tens of thousands of expert scientists from every country in the world are not trying to save the planet. The planet has got along fine for over four billion years before humans, and will get along fine without us if we become extinct like 99.9 percent of all living things that have already gone extinct. What over 98 percent of the experts are warning us about is the energy we humans have been pumping into the atmosphere is creating atmospheric conditions and rising oceans that will probably not kill us for another few hundred years or so, but displace hundreds of millions of people. Won’t that be a fun world for our grand kids to live in? Maybe you and Joe can share a room or two for the twenty million folks from Bangladesh which will be under water before the end of the century."

 * ... PRAYER: Can you stand one more rant from a reader? This one was responding to my blog post lamenting "prayer shaming." Said Alan  Neumann: "This morning Richard Beene opined about the NY Daily News cover and the idea of 'prayer shaming' and how bad they were. He commented on the headline 'God Isn't Fixing This' and said no one was suggesting he would. Yes Richard, they are, that is what prayer is, asking God to help with what you can't handle, change or in some cases, what you can't get." Thanks for your note Alan but when I pray and don't really expect God or any other higher power to directly intervene on my behalf. Rather, for me prayer is a deeply personal exercise in empathy that - contrary to what you think - really doesn't anticipate action from above.

California universities admitting record number of foreign students, two new studies say fracking has no ill effect on groundwater and more on those Mizzou protests

 * ... COLLEGES: As our public colleges and universities struggle with tight budgets, they are admitting record high numbers of foreign students simply because they pay three times as much

tuition as California residents. According to The Wall Street Journal, a record 975,000 international students were enrolled at two and four year U.S. schools this year, representing a 10 percent jump over a year earlier. And now, predictably, some California families are pushing back, saying their own children are being pushed aside simply because foreigners pay a higher tuition. Here is how bad it is for California students: the UC system accepted 62 percent of in-state student applicants in 2014, compared to 84 percent just four years earlier.

 * ... FRACKING: Two more major studies have been released that conclude that hydraulic fracturing does not pollute groundwater supplies. The latest studies, by Yale University and the other by Colorado State, dealt with fracking operations and groundwater in northeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Colorado. According to the Denver Post, "The Yale-led study — the largest of its kind, according to a university press release — found "no evidence that trace contamination of organic compounds in drinking water wells near the Marcellus Shale" resulted from underground migration of the chemicals. The Colorado State study reached a similar conclusion. Of course, for many the debate over fracking is not based on science, but rather on emotion and the dream of a world without fossil fuels, so no doubt these latest studies will have little effect on the civic dialogue.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back."

 * ... MIZZOU: Jon Crawford weighed in on the student protect activity at the University of Missouri and Yale with this missive: "The activities of students at two universities remind me of Al Capp’s name for similar students of the 1960s and 1970s in his Li’l Abner comic strip – Students Wildly Indignant about Nearly Everything."

* ... ALIENS: Have you seen the Facebook thread about aliens falling from the sky? That's right, someone posted a picture of what looks like an animal fetus and claimed that it was an alien that had fallen from the sky in the San Jose area. Hundreds chimed in buying into the theory that the government was covering up an alien invasion. Said one post: "We see what it looks like, we know there are other life forms being generated... (but) our government works for the devil and is able to create life forms of whatever. .. God sees all and when he wants his children to know the truth it will all be revealed." Okey doke.

 * .... LOCAL HERO: Hats off to 19-year-old Abby Harwell who was shopping at Walmart near East Hills Mall when she performed CPR on a woman who had collapsed. Said her aunt Linda Daniels: "Our niece Abby Harwell works two part time jobs and takes classes at BC in the medical field... She jumped into action and performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The lady was breathing when they arrived. I think she needs a shout out for stepping in while others stood by. We are very proud of her."

Supervisor Leticia Perez, a Democrat in the oil patch, takes a balanced view to the energy sector and some really good form around town on Veterans day

 * ... LETICIA: I had a nice chat the other day with Supervisor Leticia Perez, a Democrat in a conservative county who has successfully balanced the interests of the energy sector with concerns over the environment. Perez voted in favor of streamlining oil and gas regulations, despite the fact

that so many in her party have condemned fossil fuels and in particular hydraulic fracturing. How does a loyal Democrat in the oil patch explain herself to the left wing of her party? "I am raising my son here," she explained, "and I want a respectful conveyance of the facts." Among those facts: the energy sector contributes a third of the county's property tax revenue, which benefits rich and poor alike, and Kern County leads the state in the total output of renewable energy like solar and wind. That's an admirable track record that cannot be dismissed, she said. Getting off fossil fuels is an admirable goal, she added, but it is a long process and those concerns must be balanced with the interests of a long-entrenched energy sector.

 * ... EL NINO: We are starting to see the early effects of El Nino this year, and we are off to a good start. Mammoth received about 36 inches of slow during this latest storm, while Lake Tahoe recorded about a 20-inch snowfall. All this is good news for these resort areas, but we will have a long way to go and meteorologists warn we will need a steady series of storms before we make a dent in the drought. That said, the Los Angeles Times reports the wet weather will lead to fewer high smog days this year, and that itself is something to celebrate. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times)

 * ... GOOD FORM: Navy veteran Eugene Jackson and his wife Mavine were treated to a free breakfast at Denny's on Mount Vernon in honor of Veterans Day. "Our waitress came by our booth, picked up our ticket and said 'A young woman paid for your wife's breakfast.' We did not have the opportunity to meet her and we would like to thank her and Denny's for the breakfast treat."

 * ... MORE GOOD FORM: And Mike Swen, a veteran of the Korean War, wrote that he too was treated to a meal at a restaurant near Stine and Planz "by a young Hispanic couple that didn't look like they had anything more than we do. It was so generous." Later, at Marie Calendar's, customers insisted he go to the front of the line and someone paid for his pies. "People need to know how generous people are in Kern County," he said. "I want to thank all of them."

 * ... SEVEN  OAKS: It is easy to underestimate the impact that Castle and Cooke and its Seven Oaks development has had on the growth of the city. And now it is breaking ground on the latest extension of the master planned community with Highgate at Seven Oaks, built on 443 acres on the west side of the corner of Ming Avenue and Allen Road. No one doubts that Highgate will be a quality community, but the relentless push west, aided by the Westside Parkway, has changed the face of the city forever.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "You can go anywhere you want if you look serious and carry a clipboard."

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: George Culver says you might be a Bakersfield old timer "if you remember the Bakersfield High Drillers basketball team warming up to the tune of 'Sweet Georgia Brown' when they played their home games. Not sure when they stopped doing it but it was in the 1950s and 1960s.

Anti fossil fuel activists to descend on Bakersfield to "save" us from oil production, Conan O'Brien takes a swipe at Bako and celebrating bacon and popcorn pork

 * ... ENERGY: It was mildly amusing to read that busloads of anti-fossil fuel activists will be descending on Bakersfield soon in order to "save" us from oil production. And exactly who are these people who think we need to be "saved" anyway? And if they are using fossil fuels to get here via trains, planes and automobiles, what kind of mixed message does that send? As the Kern Citizens for Energy noted: "We strongly object to the organizations'

constant supposition that our strong community - including our Latino and other minority populations - is somehow a 'victim' of our century-old petroleum industry." And speaking of fossil fuels, I hope you didn't miss the special section in Sunday's Californian on the recent West Kern Petroleum Summit. The essay and speech by Alex Epstein in defense of fossil fuels is a must read for anyone who lives in the oil patch.

* ... BIKE PATH: John Strand of Lake Isabella wrote to comment on the idea of building a bike path up Round Mountain Road and naming it after the late ski shop owner Doug Bentz and Bakersfield College professor Norm Hoffman. "The bike path sparked my interest, not because I ride, but because Doug and I went through school together and were pretty good friends. I also knew his sister Mary Jo (now known as Marijo), his brother Tommy, and his parents Bill and Virginia. We all lived in Taft at the time. Here's my profound thought:  If this path comes to fruition, it will need a name, right? How about the" Bentz-Hoffman Parkway or the Bentz-Hoffman bike path? A fitting tribute to two stellar guys."

 * ... CONAN: Johnny Carson made a pretty good living making fun of Bakersfield, and now comes comedian Conan O'Brien following in his path. This weekend he tweeted this: "Massachusetts was named the most liberal state. Researchers almost picked California but they stopped for gas in Bakersfield."

 * ... PORK: Last week researchers told us that processed meats like bacon are bad for us. I chose to ignore that admonition and celebrated this weekend with an order of the tasty "popcorn pork" from Muertos downtown.

* ... BEST COLLEGE TOWN: No surprise here but San Luis Obispo made the Forbes list of the top ten college towns in America. The home of Cal Poly ranked seventh on the list. The top three: Chapel Hill (University of North Carolina), State College (Penn State) and Oxford (Miami University).

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I just don’t understand why Flo from Progressive needs to have an apron on to sell car insurance."

* ... FUND RAISER: Lynn Finch dropped me a note to remind us that the annual Light the Night Walk to benefit The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will be held at Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This is a fun event that has been expanded to include a kid zone carnival area, information booths, refreshments, the walk with lighted lanterns, and a fireworks display following the walk. All proceeds go to help with research, patient services, help with medical co-pays and other expenses.

Environmental group calls for an end to oil and gas drilling on federal lands, Haggen grocery files for bankruptcy and a little history about Larry Reider

 * ... FOSSIL FUELS: Environmental groups are calling on President Obama to outlaw the production of oil and national gas from federally owned lands and along the continental shelf. Whether this can be done with the stroke of a pen is up for debate, but groups like the Center for Biological Diversity (a group often criticized for its hyperbole) say it will go a long way to reduce the effects of climate change. The problem, as cited in a report by the news service Vice, is in the details.
Said Kathleen Sgamma, public affairs spokeswoman for the Western Energy Alliance: "It's not a serious discussion. It's not a serious point of view," noting that fossil fuels provide about 80 percent of US energy needs and calls to 'Keep it in the ground' offer little in the way of replacements. "Groups like the Center for Biological Diversity will talk about wind and solar. Wind and solar are great, except they have only to do with electricity generation, which doesn't cover transportation or heat. It's just electricity, and it's just a very small portion of electricity now."

* ... DUST MITES: If you are one of those people who don't make your bed in the morning, you may be doing something right. That's the word from the BBC which reported that researchers believe that dust mites thrive in dark places, and that leaving the bed unmade could help kill them off. Dr. Stephen Pretlove told the BBC, "We know that mites can only survive by taking in water from the atmosphere using small glands on the outside of their body. Something as simple as leaving a bed unmade during the day can remove moisture from the sheets and mattress so the mites will dehydrate and eventually die." So there you have it; you can thank me.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "There are no bad photos. That’s just how you look sometimes."

 * ... HAGGEN: Now that the Haggen supermarket chain has filed bankruptcy, its store in the Town and Country Shopping Center on Gosford and Stockade Highway (it was an Albertson's not too long ago) is being cleaned out by bargain hunters before it closes. Many items are discounted up to 50 percent off but get there quickly, because everything is going fast.

 * ... OVERHEARD: Two men are talking about the opening of the craft beer venue Temblor and the explosion of craft brews across the country. Said one: "That old bank building at Chester and 18th is perfect for a craft brewery."

 * ... LARRY: Ever wonder how folks from out of town end up in our community? I ran into Larry Reider, the affable former Kern County superintendent of schools, and he shared how, as a young college graduate, he ended up in Bakersfield in 1965. "I was at the (college) job placement office (in Washington) looking for a teaching gig and I knew I wanted to go to California. So I went down the list of cities in California alphabetically and Bakersfield was at the top of the list. There was a job in Arvin at an elementary school and I drove down sight unseen." Fifty years later, a building bears his name and Larry and wife Sandra are retired happily in the town they call home.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you spent "getting gold stars for reading a number of books while attending the summer reading program in the basement of the Baker Street Library."

California legislature looking at legislation that could have a devastating impact on the oil industry, some really bad form on the bike trail and more on our long drought

 * ... FOSSIL FUELS: Most of us pay little attention to what is happening in Sacramento, but if you live in the oil patch as we do, it is time to take notice. A fierce debate is under way over pending

legislation (SB350) that could have a devastating affect on California's energy sector. And that of course means Kern County, which could potentially lose thousands of jobs if the bill becomes law. The legislation would require a 50 percent reduction in petroleum use by Jan 1., 2030, just 15 short years away. The bill easily passed the Senate but is finding resistance in the House from moderate Democrats who represent the Central Valley. Critics claim, accurately, that the bill fails to say exactly how we are going to get there. Instead, it simply sets a target, a familiar tactic that makes politicians feel good but does little to deal with the details that will affect all of our lives. And others complain that the working poor, those who can hardly afford higher gas prices or the price of an electric car, will suffer the most. This is the work of Sacramento that needs our attention.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to Varner Brothers who responded to the long drought by removing the grass in front of its offices and replacing it with 1,600 linear feet of concrete sidewalks. Said project manager Brian Stanley: "Although it won’t bring rain and it was expensive, we think hardscapes can help."

 * ... BAD FORM: I was cycling with a group of friends this weekend when two oncoming cyclists careened hot into a sharp turn that led to a small bridge and went down. Our group was on the bridge and our lead rider could not avoid the spill, plowed into one of the riders and did a 360 over her handlebars and landed on her face. Bloodied and skinned up, she was able to ride home thanks to her helmet and overall fitness. The lesson? Cycling is fun but can be dangerous. Ride at your talent level and for goodness sake, slow down in tricky situations. (file photo of a bicycle wreck)

 * ... SPOTTED: John Strand of Lake Isabella shared with a picture of his bumper sticker. It reads: "Stop Global Whining." I could not think of a better message.

* ... DROUGHT: Here's a timely tip about water use from Ryan Olson. "Just a reminder to all those folks who are conserving by watering at night (especially school districts, corporations and properties with common areas): sprinklers need to be checked once a month, at the very least. In areas that have a lot of foot traffic, once a week would be best. I was at our local junior high in the evening last week and watched water pour onto the asphalt and into the drains in several areas with broken or misdirected sprinkler heads. Driving home, I saw several more properties (common grounds which surround neighborhoods) with the same problem. Ten to fifteen minutes of visual inspection by groundskeepers once a week could save hundreds of gallons of water, all over the city.
Kudos to the city of Bakersfield crews, by the way, for doing just that. I watched as they worked their way down Ming Avenue recently, testing, repairing, and adjusting sprinklers on both sides of the street, as well as the median."

 * ... CROSSING GUARD: A reader wrote to heap some praise on a longtime crossing guard who works the corner of White Lane and Akers. "You can tell he takes this job seriously and displays much pride in how he does this job.  His energy level is amazing. It is refreshing and renews faith in our fellow human beings that no matter what your job or profession ... there are people who do give it their best shot every single day."

Analysts see no end to the global oil glut and work continues on the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame

 * ... OIL: The price of oil has dropped by almost 60 percent since its peak, but U.S. and global producers are maintaining production. In an analysis of the global oil glut, the Wall Street Journal noted that the world's biggest suppliers have yet to curtail production, almost guaranteeing the price

will remain in the $40 per barrel range and possibly sink below that. Saudi Arabia, for one, is maintaining its production as a hedge against new Iraqi and Iranian oil expected to hit the market. The Journal called the result a type of "energy industry version of trench warfare, with producers all trying to gain an inch of market share no matter the cost. And it is producing winner and losers around the world, luring American drivers into gas guzzling pickup rucks while sending the Venezuelan economy into chaos."

 * ... CRIME: If you have a "lock" mechanism on your garage door, make sure to use it. Police say thieves are having a field day around town by making their way into garages by forcing the overhead doors open by hand.

 * ... ZIGGY: Hats off to the folks over at Cal State Bakersfield who made the right call in promoting Kenneth Siegfried as the new athletic director. Known as "Ziggy," the personal and quick witted Siegfried has the energy, experience and youth and he has bonded with this imperfect community we all call home.

 * ... 24th STREET CAFE: I rewarded myself after a Sunday morning 10-mile hike with a trip to the 24th Street Cafe, one of our town's iconic homestyle restaurants that is always busy and never seems to disappoint. My recommendation: eggs benedict accompanied by biscuits and gravy and a cold Bloody Mary.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Knowledge is like underwear. It is useful to have it, but not necessary to show it off."

 * ... HALL OF FAME: Work continues on converting the Bakersfield Sound Studio into the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame, and this weekend a huge new sign went up at the front entrance. Funded by Kyle Carter and his wife Kim McAbee, herself an accomplished musician, the Hall of Fame will recognize Bakersfield's rich musical heritage. The building is located the corner of Q and 23rd streets.

 * ... CALTRANS: Someone at Caltrans wasn't paying attention when they created, and installed, a sign on Highway 46 near Paso Robles that reads: "Groved Pavement." Thanks to Margaret Scrivano Patteson for passing that along.

The long slump in the energy sector continues with more layoffs, more on that nasty run of car break ins about town and a Zippo lighter tells a soldier's story about Vietnam

 * ... ENERGY: It looks like the long slump in the energy sector is not about to end anytime soon. The big oil service companies like Halliburton and Baker Hughes (they plan to merge) are signaling

yet more layoffs as the price slump continues. Energy prices are down 20 percent over the past six weeks, thanks to expectations that new Iranian oil make flood the market. Said The Wall Street Journal: "Oilfield service providers have announced job cuts deeper than initially declared and warned of more layoffs to come. Halliburton Co. and Baker Hughes Inc.... disclosed last week that they cut 27,000 jobs between them, double the 13,500 announced in February. ConocoPhillips has already cut nearly 1,500 jobs so far this year but is planning more layoffs this fall that could number into the thousands... The impact of low oil prices isn’t limited to U.S. energy companies. Firms world-wide have shelved $200 billion of new-project spending, the Financial Times reports."

* ... CRIME: A resident in the Northwest awoke to find the windows smashed in on his daughter's car parked in front of the house. When the repair people came out to replace the window, they said this is happening a dozen times a night across town.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Might wake up early and go running but I also might win the lottery. The odds are about the same."

 * ... VIETNAM: Making the rounds on Facebook the other day was a picture of an old Zippo lighter inscribed with this bit of wisdom: "NAM 71-72: We the unwilling, led by the unqualified to kill the unfortunate die for the ungrateful."

 * ... SCAMS: I have mentioned this scam before, but it is worthy of a reminder. This from Judy Hanson: "My elderly parents live in central California. Someone called their home phone saying they were from Microsoft. They said that my parent’s computer was messing up a lot of other people’s computers. Microsoft needed to fix it. They convinced her to give them numbers off of her computer. They also tried to convince her to give them her credit card to charge her $150 to fix the problem. They didn’t get her credit card, but they did remotely wipe her computer and my parents had no back-up. They lost everything, address book,  photos, everything."

 * ... GRANTS: The Bakersfield (family) Foundation is now accepting letters of inquiries for its fall grant cycle. The foundation will award three grant amounts: one at $100,000, a second at $50,000 and a third at $25,000. All applications are due on Friday, August 28. There is no particular theme for this grant cycle, though the foundation is primarily interested in capital projects as opposed to funding operating expenses. The winners will be announced in November. For information go to the www.bakersfieldcalifornianfoundation.org.

 * .. DUTCH FRONTIER: I was stunned by the number of messages I received after writing about the Dutch Frontier restaurant in Ducor. It seems almost everyone from Bakersfield has visited it, and folks universally rave about its local ownership. I am told there are still some tables open for Thursday, August 6, when The Mark restaurant pays tribute to the Dutch Frontier by recreating its menu.