Former county department head Dave Price dies, Campbell Soups sells Bolthouse Farms, cleaner air leads to fewer "fog days" in Kern County and spring in Bakersfield ...

 Monday, April 15, 2019

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... DAVE PRICE: RIP to Dave Price, one of the great citizens of our community who died last

Thursday at his Tennessee retirement home. Price retired as director of the county Resources Management Agency and left California for Kingsport, Tennessee, where his jovial manner and quick wit quickly endeared him to the locals. I knew Dave well and was proud to call him a friend, as did many. His wife, Liz, said he died of a cardiac event.

 * ... BOLTHOUSE: Bolthouse Farms, one of Kern County's powerhouse carrot and juice producers that was sold to Campbell Soup Co. a few years ago, has become a private company again. Campbell was looking to unload Bolthouse because, according to the Wall Street Journal, it proved difficult for the company to handle fresh food. Former Bolthouse CEO Jeff Dunn was leading a group of investors who purchased the business. No word yet if Bolthouse will return to Bakersfield as its corporate headquarters.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "No matter how nice I ask random people, nobody will take me to Funkytown."

 * ... WEEKEND: If it is spring in Bakersfield it is time for outdoor events and celebrations. This weekend alone we saw downtown Rotary's Havana Nights, the Stars Dinner Theater Dancing with the Stars (congratulations to Robin Mangarin-Scott for placing first), the Coconut Cup pickle ball tournament at the Bakersfield Racquet Club, the 4th Annual Sikh Peace Parade, a community trash cleanup day and more. Spring in Bakersfield.

 * ... RIG CITY: Congratulations to the Rig City Coffee Roasters on its one-year anniversary downtown. The popular coffee and pastry shop is part of a downtown renaissance of small businesses that are breathing new energy into our downtown.

 * ... TULE FOG: Remember a few years back when the tule fog was so think you could hardly see the car in front of you? Well, those days are largely behind us and we can thank lower levels of air pollution for it. That's according to a new study by scientists at the UC Berkeley who analyzed meteorological and air pollution data from the Central Valley reaching back to 1930. They reported this: "The results help explain the puzzling decades long rise and fall in the number of 'fog days' affecting the region, which increased 85 percent between 1930 and 1970 and then decreased 76 percent between 1980 to 2016. This up and down pattern follows trends in air pollution in the valley, which rose during the first half of the century when the region was increasingly farms and industrialized, and then dropped off after the enactment of air pollution regulations in the 1970s."

* .... MEMORIES: Take a look at this, the before and after of 20th Street downtown.

Monday's Bakersfield Observed: Could you forgive someone who tried to kill you? Tom Morgan talks about this this week, more on the death of former KGET anchor Chris Burrous and Goose Loonies readies to open a second location

Monday, February 25, 2019

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS: Twenty-two years ago Tom Morgan was a young Kern County Sheriff's deputy when he responded to a call off Planz Road. Within minutes, he was ambushed by a young gang member and shot point blank in the neck with a 410 gauge shotgun

derringer. Left for dead, he miraculously survived, left street patrol, became a lawyer and set about putting his life back together. Today, more than two decades later, Morgan is on a new mission: to forgive the man who shot him and to testify on his behalf at an upcoming parole hearing. Morgan will share his story of setbacks, pain, challenge and forgiveness on my radio show (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) this Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. He will be joined by his wife, Christy, who will share her own journey of facing the man who tried to kill her husband, of her own struggle to forgive and move on, and how baking has helped her face the daunting task of moving on.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I skipped CrossFit today after spending a few hours trying to wrestle a duvet cover onto a comforter."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "My friend's newborn baby is allergic to their dog. I told him there are plenty of places that will take in a baby."

 * ... PICKLE BALL: Good news for all you fans of pickle ball, the fastest growing sport in the country. City Manager Alan Tandy told me the city is renovating the tennis courts at Jastro Park and converting some of the courts into dedicated pickle ball courts, which are narrower and shorter. In the end there will be six pickle ball courts and three tennis courts.

 * ... GOOSE LOONIES: Good news for foodies about town. The popular tavern Goose Loonies is opening a second location on Truxtun Avenue in a space once occupied by the failed Craft Tap House (and formerly the old Salad Bar). The original location on 18th Street will remain open, and I am betting the new location will be a big hit.

 * ... BURROUS: The coroner has released the cause of death of former Bakersfield TV anchor Chris Burruos, who died at a Glendale hotel two days after Christmas. The cause: methamphetamine toxicity. Burrous did time in Bakersfield at KGET and later ended up in Los Angeles. In addition to methamphetamine toxicity, other contributing factors included hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Burrous was at the hotel with a male friend apparently engaging in sex and dabbling in drugs.

 * ... MEMORIES: Soak up the richness of this photo of the post 1952 earthquake downtown.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there was the old Topper Motel on Union Avenue. Who remembers it?

Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams pay tribute to the Bakersfield Sound, car thieves get a lot smarter (and busier) and NOR scores a hit with its new eight-court "pickleplex" at Greenacres Park

Monday, August 13, 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 to live. Send your news tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... SELF ESTEEM: So you probably heard the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce has launched a branding campaign aimed at making us all feel better about living in Bakersfield. We are

our own worst enemies, and the study has shown that those of us who live here are harder on ourselves than outsiders. The late Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathon Gold adored Bakersfield and our Basque food culture, and of course there is always the Bakersfield Sound to take pride in. And pride in our hometown was on full display at a recent concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles featuring Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams and and Steve Earle, where the song set was almost entirely devoted to Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and other Bakersfield Sound greats. (And someone was making a killing by selling Bakersfield Sound T-shirts.) Plus this: did you know that Yoakam now has a channel on SiriusXM satellite radio devoted to the Bakersfield Sound? Note to Chamber president Nick Ortiz: you can start and end your branding campaign with music and Basque food.

 * ... CRIME: There's not a neighborhood in town that hasn't been affected by crime. Burglaries, car break-in, porch thefts, you name it crime is rampant these days. The rash of car break-ins is worrisome, and now comes word that the thieves have gotten even smarter. Some folks will place their laptops or other valuables in their trunks, believing when it is out of sight, it is safe. But now thieves are breaking into the cars, going through the glove compartment and then popping open the trunk to make sure there is nothing valuable inside. It has happened twice to friends lately, once in La Cresta and once in Rosedale. Beware.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If your relationship status says, 'It’s complicated' maybe you should stop kidding yourself and change it to 'Single.'"

 * ... JEAN FULLER: I ran into state Sen. Jean Fuller at Uricchio's Trattoria the other night where she was gathered with staffers from both Sacramento and the local district office. Down from the Sacramento office was Dana Culhane Brennan, one of a handful of bright young people I think should consider running for office. Fuller will be termed out of office in November and will likely be succeeded by former Assemblywoman Shannon Grove.

 * ... PICKLEBALL: The opening of a new pickle ball complex at Greenacres Park has been a huge success, reviving what was once a little used tennis center into a vibrant eight-court pickle ball center drawing dozens of new players each day. And now word on the street is that the North of the River Parks and Recreation District, which runs the Greenacres complex, is considering a second "pickleplex" center in the northwest. Stay tuned.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy this photo of the old Southern Hotel at the corner of 19th Street and Chester Avenue around 1888. It burned in the great downtown fire a year later. Photo courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

No Uber or Lyft service at Meadows Field in Bakersfield, Greenacres Park unveils eight new pickle ball courts and more on the medicinal benefits of CBD oil made from hemp and marijuana

Monday, July 9, 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. 

 * ... MEADOWS FIELD: Flying out of Bakersfield is tough enough these days: very few airlines serve us, the flights are ridiculously expensive and to get anywhere you have to fly through Phoenix. But thanks to our wise local leaders, you can't even use Uber to get a ride to or from the airport.

Why? Because two local cab  companies (and don't get me started on our inefficient, chronically tardy Third World local cabbies and their run-down cabs) have an exclusive franchise to serve the airport. And how ridiculous is that? Is it any wonder that some folks make the half mile walk from the terminal to Merle Haggard Drive, luggage in tow, so they can connect with Uber? This is not a nationwide problem as The Californian called it; I cannot name a major airport in the country that does not allow Uber or Lyft to service their airports. Wake up Bakersfield, we can do better.

 * ... CBD OIL: Cannabidiol oil is an extract from the hemp plant, and legions of people across the world swear by its medicinal value. The Food and Drug Administration last week approved the first CBD oil based medicine to treat epilepsy, but CBD fans claim it can help alleviate aches and pains, anxiety, reduce inflammation and even help with nicotine craving. CBD oil is safe and legal, yet some people avoid it because it can also be produced from the marijuana plant. (Note CBD oil does not trigger a "high" like marijuana). There is one CBD oil shop in Bakersfield, on F Street near KC's Steakhouse, and owner Ted Sisco will appear with me on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM to talk about its benefits. Don't miss this important show airing at 1:30 p.m. this Tuesday, July 10.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Licking someone's face is a quick and 100 percent foolproof way of ending a conversation."

 * ... PICKLEBALL: If you haven't heard of pickle ball, the fastest growing sport in America, you will soon. A combination of tennis and ping pong played on a smaller court using a wiffle ball, the sport has exploded in Kern County, and now there are eight new pickle ball courts available for play at Greenacres Park thanks to the North of the River Parks and Recreation District. New courts are going in at Seven Oaks and Stockdale Country Club, and the members only Bakersfield Racquet Club also has four dedicated courts.

 * ... MEMORIES: So who remembers a gas station at the base of the Grapevine called Holland's? I spotted this on the Kern County of Old Facebook page, which read: "From the 1937 Official San Joaquin Valley- Sierra Visitors Guide, an ad for Holland's Cafe and Garage on the Ridge Route Summit. From SCVHistory. com: "Originally located on the Ridge Route just south of Caswell's on what is now the Gorman Post Road, Holland's Summit Cafe started as a truck stop devoid of tourists. The site featured a Standard Oil gas station, garage, and cafe. When the Ridge Route alternate was opened in 1933, Holland's was relocated from its original location to the new highway."

Five California universities make the top ten of the nation's best public colleges, get ready for Santa Carota beef to hit the market and battling an infestation of weevils

 * ... TOP UNIVERSITIES: U.S. News has unveiled its annual list of the top public colleges and universities and once again the state of California occupies five of the top ten spots. In no particular

order the top ten are the College of William and Mary, Georgia Tech, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, the University of Florida, the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina and the University of Virginia.

 * ... SANTA CAROTA: If you haven't heard of Santa Carota steaks yet, you will soon. The brainchild of Kern County ranchers Justin and Corrine Pettit, this new beef is totally gluten free and a perfect addition to the farm to table movement that values free range beef raised without grains. How do they do it? The cattle are grass raised and carrot finished, meaning they eat up to 200 pounds of carrots a day. The steaks are leaner, lighter and tastier. They are available now at the Luigi's deli and soon Santa Carota ground beef and steaks will be on sale at the Wood Dale butcher shop.

 * ... WINE: When did Trader Joe's famous "two buck Chuck" become "three buck Chuck?"

 * ... WEEVILS: I opened a cupboard this weekend to find a nasty infestation of weevils, those pesky insects that exploit any opportunity to crawl into an open bag of flour or grain. That, along with an equally irksome infestation of gnats at Bakersfield Racquet Club, left me thinking about the effect of our wet winter and its connection to an insect explosion across town.

* ... PICKLEBALL: Congratulations to Nick Jacobs who staged a successful inaugural Renegade Cup Pickleball tournament up at Bakersfield College this weekend. Jacobs, head tennis coach at BC, said he had more than 100 players from Fresno, Visalia, Lancaster, Hanford and Phoenix attend the tournament.

 * ... SOUTH HIGH: South High School is holding a gala at the Doubletree Hotel later this month to honor a new group of inductees into its alumni hall of fame. Hats off to all the folks who are being honored, including Californian columnist Herb Benham. basketball player Winston Crite, educators Jeanne Johnson Harry and Richard Giese, Mike Davis, former educators Bill Miller and Mike Stricker, and former coach John Wren,.

* ... MEMORIES: Bud King wrote with some memories of the old Lebec Hotel. "King Trucking of Bakersfield did the demolition of the Lebec Hotel.  They were getting so many flats on the trucks that they got with the Fire Department across Highway 99 and Interstate 5 to use their parking lot to make repairs. That is where I learned a lesson about split rim truck rims, always put the split side down. One of the tire repairman didn't, it blew off during inflation and took the top of his head off. "

It's time to ban fireworks in Bakersfield, Chick-fil-A is ranked as the best limited service restaurant in the nation and I launch a search for the best watermelon margarita in town

 * ... FIREWORKS: Count me among those who agree with Californian columnist Lois Henry that it's time to ban the personal use of fireworks. For years, much of the resistance has come from non-

profits who argue the sale of fireworks is an important source of funding. Well then how about this idea from my friend Mary Hellen Barro: "Why not publish the names of those non-profit organizations that depend on fireworks sales for their funding? That way, people could donate to those organizations directly, bypassing the fireworks vendors who make a profit off their good will." Sounds reasonable to me. It's time for the non-profits to put the risks to the community over their own needs.

 * ... FOOD: For the first time in 10 years Americans prefer limited service restaurants like Chick-fil-A to the traditional full service establishments. That's the word from the American Customer Satisfaction Index which ranked Chick-fil-A as the top rated limited service restaurant in the country. McDonald's was the worse. In the full service category, Cracker Barrel was ranked highest followed by Texas Roadhouse.

 * ... MARGARITA: And speaking of food,  at the request of a friend I am looking for the best watermelon margarita in town. If you know of a good one, email me at rsbeene@yahoo.com.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Remember that no matter how much somebody loves you, there is a dog somewhere that loves you more."

 * ... PICKLEBALL: Heads up to all you pickleball players out there: Greenacres Park, part of the North of the River Recreation District, has restriped its tennis courts to create four new pickleball courts for this fast growing sport. Meanwhile, the Bakersfield Racquet Club is hosting a big pickleball tournament this weekend, drawing almost 100 players. The tournament runs from Friday to Sunday.

 * ... ORGANIC: Some good news for the folks who live in the Tehachapi area: the annual opening of the Cal-Organic Farms produce stand is opening this Saturday. Cal-Organic, part of Grimmway Farms, opened its Tehachapi stand in 2007 in response to requests from local residents for fresh organic produce like arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, cilantro, collard greens, green onions, parsley and much more. The stand, located at 23968 Bear Valley Road in Tehachapi, will be open every Saturday, June 24 through Sept. 2. Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cash and checks are accepted (no credit or debit cards).

 * ... BILL LEE'S: Art Moore is a local history buff who shared this memory on the "Kern County of Old" Facebook page. "With $600, Bill Lee founded 'Bill Lee's Bamboo Chopsticks' in September of 1938 on 18th Street in Bakersfield. Born in 1910 in Canton, China, he came with his mother to Bakersfield in the 1920s where he worked in his father's restaurant on 20th Street. He disliked the business and left back to China in 1928 for his education where he began his interest in cooking. Returning to Bakersfield in 1932 he engaged in the grocery business. Urged by his cousin in New York, he entered with him into a partnership to open a Cantonese restaurant. Bill gained sole control of the business shortly after opening when his cousin lost interest. One of the first 'home deliver' food services in Bakersfield came about in 1955 when Bill commissioned his 'Flying Chopsticks' delivery truck. Today, Bill Lee's Bamboo Chopsticks remains one of the more popular Chinese restaurants in Bakersfield. William Chong (Bill) Lee died on June 11, 1990, and is buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park."