The California drought is real and it is really bad, some Americans are triggered by the sight of our flag, Rep. Kevin McCarthy is hit by his critics and who abandons a liter of puppies by the side of a road?

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.

 * ... THE NEW DROUGHT: It has become painfully clear how serious the new California drought is, and nothing tells the story like these maps from SJVWater.org, the premier source for water and drought related news. SJVWater.org said the information was provided by Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc. 

“Right now, there’s still 10,000 to 20,000 acre feet of variability in the (runoff) forecasts,” in the Kings River watershed, said Steve Haugen, Kings River Watermaster. “That may not sound like a lot, but it can mean the difference between some districts being able to run water or not.” In terms of value, that much water could be worth $12.5 million to $25 million considering at least one ag district has set its price at $1,250 per acre foot this year. One thing is for sure: we are in for a long and expensive summer in terms of water use.

 * ... THE GRAND OLD FLAG: Apparently there are Americans who are "triggered" into fear or anger by the mere sight of the American flag. That's right, and if that sounds too ludicrous to be true, well think again. In today's woke society we are apparently breeding a generation of Americans who believe flying the flag does not represent freedom and sacrifice, but rather repression, white privilege and violence. Check out this quote from a front page story in the New York Times: "Today flying the flag from the back of a pickup truck or over a lawn is increasingly seen as a clue, albeit an imperfect one, to a person's political affiliation in a deeply divided nation.... What was once a unifying symbol - there is a star for each state, after all - is now alienating to some, its stripes now fault lines between people who kneel while 'The Star Spangled Banner' plays and those for whom not pledging allegiance is an affront."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Sometimes the best part of my job is having a chair that swivels."

 * ... ABANDONED PUPPIES: One of the first things you learn in journalism school is the power of stories about puppies and small children. They will tug at your heart, make you smile or cry, and leave you feeling good. KGET knew that when posting a story about a litter of puppies that was found abandoned in a south Bakersfield neighborhood. One of the pups died, but the others are recovering to the Shelter On the Hill Humane Society in Lebec because Bakersfield shelters are full. The puppies were found on Saint Helens Avenue near Pacheco Road.

 * ... MORE WOKE CULTURE: Ready for more woke culture? It appears that rich Americans are surrounded by more trees than poor Americans. Say what? A New York Times essay went to great pains to point out that the wealthy can afford to live in the suburbs with more trees while the poor live in the inner cities. Is anyone surprised by this? Doesn't the mere fact that you live in a dense urban environment mean you will have fewer trees, whether you live on Central Park South or Harlem?

 * ... KEVIN MCCARTHY: It wasn't always like this, but Rep. Kevin McCarthy has become the poster child for the liberal left's idea of a sycophantic errand boy former President Donald Trump. McCarthy remains immensely popular in his home district, but his standing in Trump's Republican Party is less certain given the wariness that some GOP hardliners have to accept him as the party leader. A few examples of how McCarthy is being criticized around the country:

 * ... MEMORIES: So who remembers Redlick's department store at the corner of Chester and 18th, right across from the 1800 Restaurant? What a grand place it was. Thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page for sharing this post.

Icardo Center gets new "Boise State" blue portable floor and celebrating a U.S. victory in women's World Cup soccer

 * ... CSUB: Had a chance to spend some time with CSUB Athletic Director Jeff Konya last Friday, interviewing him on Californian Radio SmartTalk 1230. Among his revelations: The Icardo Center is getting a new removable floor painted a bold blue (think Boise State) and is in for more upgrades as more basketball games move back to campus. Also, expect to see more uniformity in logos and uniforms among all the sports teams. In a few years, the teams will be sporting a bold new CSUB yellow-gold at home games. Also, lots of positive buzz about the eight recruits that new basketball Coach Rod Barnes is bringing to campus.

 * ... WOMEN'S SOCCER: Speaking of sports, it doesn't get more exciting than watching the United States' women's soccer team beat Brazil in the World Cup Sunday. An amazing game on any level that ended in a dramatic shootout.

 * ... PATRIOTISM: Reader Glen Worrell said his patriotism was challenged after he wrote that he was flying an American flag that was made in China. Turns out Worrell is a retired Coast Guard commander, rarely leaves the house without an American flag pin and loves his country as we all do. Worrell reminds us that patriotism is not determined by a flag manufacturer, but by what is in one's heart.

 * ... MEMORIES: Correspondent Geraldine Sproul wrote with some memories of old 18th Street, including the Masonic Temple. "Many people don't know this but during World War II the basement of the temple was a bomb shelter and they spotted planes on the roof... The Woman's Club further west on the corner on the north side of 18th Street is about a year older than the Masonic Temple. As a teenager I danced by way through life in the basement of the temple."

 * ... ACHIEVER: Hats off to Chelsea Dunlap, a local product who just graduated from UCLA with a major in English and a minor in anthropology. Her grandfather, Leland R. Luttrell, told me that Chelsea has accepted a one-year contract as an English teacher in Otsu, Japan, which is close to Bakersfield's sister city of Wakayama City. She is a graduate of Highland High School where she was active in the band and served as senior class president. Her parents are Bob and Susan Dunlap.

 * ... MEMORY: Ruth E. Overton wrote to recall a large mural that was painted on the side of a business just off Mount Vernon south of Niles Street. It was painted by Nick Paola. Anyone remember this? It would have been in the late 1950s.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Robert E. Holland writes that you might be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember driving down Truxtun Avenue "on a hot summer night with the windows down and smelling the wonderful aroma of bread baking at the Golden Crust and Sunbean bakeries."