The newly vaccinated wake up and head out to dine after a year of hunkering down, a coalition vaccinates farmworkers in Delano and Greyhound wants to move to the Amtrak station

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.

 * ... OUT AND ABOUT: Were you among those who go out this weekend, perhaps taking in dinner at a local restaurant, after a year of hunkering down? It was the thing to do: gather up friends who have been vaccinated and hit the town, or at the very least head to an intimate dinner party. One thing is for sure: our local 

eateries are on fire: big crowds were spotted at Mexicali and the Starlite Lounge and other popular local restaurants throughout the city. To be sure Covid is not behind us, but the level of confidence has grown where newly vaccinated couples are braving the elements to dine out. 

 * ... WHAT WE WILL MISS: For sure there will be things we will miss about hunkering down at home: endless days working in T-shirts and pajamas, family time that found a new rhythm during the lockdown, home cooking and a reluctant relaxation that came with the knowledge that you had no where to go but home. In his Sunday piece in The Bakersfield Californian, columnist Bob Price put it this way: "Some things we'll hang on to," he noted. "Home gyms, hiking, garage ping pong, cooking, board games. Appreciation for local small businesses. The willingness to sacrifice."

 * ... GOOD NEWS: The Greyhound bus station downtown has always been an eyesore: dirty, neglected and a gathering spot for newly released prisoners. But now, after years of effort, it looks like Greyhound is finally packing up its bags and leaving for greener pastures. This week, the City Council at its Wednesday  will consider a deal that would allow Greyhound to lease space at the Amtrak Station. "Due to an evolving business climate, Greyhound staff determined they no longer have a need for a facility of that size. City staff determined the relocation of Greyhound bus services to the existing city-owned Amtrak Station site achieves various major objectives of the City Council," according to a city memo. The property, located at G and 18th streets, is ideal for a multi purpose facility to compliment the Padre Hotel and the Bitwise building.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I keep changing the wifi password to make sure that my wife always needs me."

 * ... KATIE BARTON: Katie Barton has been named general manager for American General Media's group of radio stations after serving as director of sales and marketing. The appointment of Barton was part of AGM's move to shuffle leadership responsibilities for its stations in California and New Mexico. In addition Rich Watson, currently general manager of AGM's properties in the Santa Maria area, has been appointed regional manager of AGM California, overseeing the station groups in Bakersfield, San Louis Obispo and Santa Maria.

 

 * ... COVID VACCINATIONS: Hats off to local defense attorney David Torres and other volunteers who spent their Saturday coordinating Covid vaccines for farmworkers. In all, five groups came together to organize a mass vaccination site in Delano: the United Farm Workers, the UFW Foundation, the Cesar Chavez Foundation, the Latino COVID Task Force and the County of Kern. Torres was among the volunteers who spent their day making sure vaccinations reached those who work in the fields.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this shot of the coffee shop of the old Royal Palms Motel around 1965. Compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: The Kern County of Old page also served up this nugget, date uncertain, of police officers parading with their canines.

Kern County teachers are upset that their coronavirus vaccine appointments were canceled, Rep. Kevin McCarthy picks up his first Democratic opponent and CSUB moves to fill Hardt Field with fan cutouts

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.

 * ... VACCINATIONS: Kern County teachers are already riled up  - some wanting to return to school, others worried that schools have yet to take the precautions to welcome them back - and now some are

claiming they have been double crossed when it comes to getting the vaccine. It happened earlier this week when some teachers made reservations to receive the vaccines through Clinica Sierra Vista, only to be told later that their appointments were canceled because it wasn't their time. As it turns out, teachers are being vaccinated in other parts of the state, but not yet in Kern County. But this is what really angered the teachers: some claim they were told that Clinica canceled their appointments under pressure from the Kern County Public Health Department. Not true, says both Tim Calahan of Clinica, and the incoming head of public health, Brynn Carrigan. Calahan said a Clinica employee may have misspoken and Carrigan said it wasn't time for teachers to be vaccinated but she acknowledged teachers in others parts of the state are being vaccinated. Either way, it left a lot of bad feelings among those we entrust to teach our children.

 * ... VACCINES: While it is true that vaccines are in short supply now, help is on the way. It looks like we will have two more vaccines on the market in the next several weeks, with AstraZeneca's vaccine as well as one from Johnson & Johnson lining up for approval. If both those new vaccines get FDA approval this month, they should be in the field by the first of March.

 * ... KEVIN MCCARTHY: Rep. Kevin McCarthy, embroiled in controversy on Capitol Hill over remarks made by a freshman Georgia congresswoman, has picked up his first declared opponent trying to capitalize on his troubles. Democrat and Navy veteran Bruno Amato announced his candidacy Thursday saying he is “taking on Kevin McCarthy to bring better leadership to my community in the Central Valley.” Amato took aim at McCarthy's refusal to vote to impeach ex President Trump by saying McCarthy had put his own interests above that of his country. “Even this unprecedented breach of our democracy wasn’t enough to convince Republican Kevin McCarthy to put our nation’s interests ahead of his own,” Amato told KGET. “In fact, in the days leading up to the riot, McCarthy was spreading lies about the results of the election, falsely claiming Donald Trump had won, egging on the rioters who eventually stormed the Capitol."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I've read all the tricks for keeping dogs off the couch but what about kids?"

 * ... CSUB BASEBALL: There will be a lot of familiar faces at Hardt Field for the CSUB Runners baseball games this year, but not in the way you think. The Athletic Department, led by assistant athletic director Logan Belz, is coordinating an effort to fill the stands with "cutouts" of fans who pay $100 each to support the university. Fan cutouts, whether at baseball or football games, have become standard fare during the pandemic, and the idea has taken off here. As of Thursday Belz said CSUB  had sold more than 270 of the cutouts and he hoped to sell many more. Among those faces you may see on the fan cutouts include District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, Mayor Karen Goh, CSUB president Lynnette Zelezny, Realtor Mike Saba, commercial real estate broker Oscar Baltazar, attorney Frank Woolridge, CSUB economics professor Dr. Richard Gearhart and many others. (file photo of fan cutouts)

 * ... THE BIG INDIAN: If you live in Bakersfield, chances are you know about the statue of the Big Indian that once stood in front of a tire shop on the Garces Circle. And now the owner of that tire shop, Ken Barnes, has located an old photo of the Indian in his former location. Thanks to Ken Barnes for sharing this.

 * ... MEMORIES: In this undated photo, courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page, the Grapevine is blanketed with a sheet of snow.

The debate over immunizations and H1N1 and Memorial Hospital says thanks to its donors

  

* ... THE DEBATE OVER IMMUNIZATIONS: I'm intrigued by the number of people locally who are questioning the idea of immunizations in general and the new swine flu vaccine in particular. There has long been an emerging movement that has linked vaccines with autism and other ill effects, and it has a strong following in our community. And now some folks are even linking the onset of swine flu with valley fever. One of those questioning the need for immunizations is Dr. Courtland Keith, a local chiropractor who seems to reflect the general cynicism about drug companies and the potential ill effects of vaccines. I asked Keith (his practice is Keith Chiropractic over on New Stine Road) for some detail and he agreed to provide it, all with the caveat that he is not a medical doctor but does have some strong opinions on this topic. (Click here for a piece he  recommended) In his words:

  "If a new born infant has an under developed immune system at birth and depends upon the mother's breast milk to build that immune system, then why introduce an antigen to that system to try and create an immune response? What if just one of these known toxic substances is found in the vaccination (which most are found in every shot) that is being injected into the child is present? Thimerisol (mercury), aluminum, formaldehyde, squalene, ethylene glycerol and animal tissue/ DNA. Most of these products are used in every vaccination and are used as preservative for long self life and label adjuvants."
 "I also struggle with the American Medical Assn. and the government's position regarding vaccinations and the link to autism. What is the largest environmental, social, nutritional change that has occurred in the past 20 years that has created 1 in 100 children born to have autism? Their answer? We don't have a clue but we know without a shadow of doubt that it couldn't possibly by vaccinations? Then what has changed in the past 20 years? Your ability to diagnose and classify more accurately? Then why is there very little, if any adults over the age of 40 that have Autism?"

  The other side has equally compelling arguments, most of them presented in an interesting article in Wired magazine. (read the entire piece here) Some excerpts:

  "Consider: In certain parts of the US, vaccination rates have dropped so low that occurrences of some children’s diseases are approaching pre-vaccine levels for the first time ever. And the number of people who choose not to vaccinate their children (so-called philosophical exemptions are available in about 20 states, including Pennsylvania, Texas, and much of the West) continues to rise.
 "... That may not sound like much, but a recent study by the Los Angeles Times indicates that the impact can be devastating. The Times found that even though only about 2 percent of California’s kindergartners are unvaccinated (10,000 kids, or about twice the number as in 1997), they tend to be clustered, disproportionately increasing the risk of an outbreak of such largely eradicated diseases as measles, mumps, and pertussis (whooping cough). The clustering means almost 10 percent of elementary schools statewide may already be at risk.

 One thing for sure is this debate is not going away. Stay tuned.


  * ... MEMORIAL FOUNDATION SAYS THANKS: The Memorial Hospital Foundation held its annual meeting at Luigi's restaurant this week and used the time to say thanks to so many who are helping the hospital grow. Memorial President Jon Van Boening provided an update on the drive to create a Children's Medical Center and gave special thanks to Marvin Steinert, the Bakersfield businessman who cut a check for $50,000 to help the effort. Marv, who is now blind because of the onset of an illness, was there with his wife Nadine and son Gary Steinert of Fresno. Also singled out for recognition were Gary McElmurry and Tim Tunget from the local Costco warehouse stores, who presented a check for $110,000 to the Foundation. Lots of local folks were there, including Steve and Pat Loyd, Steve Clifford, Tom Smith, Tracy and Brian Walker, Greg Bynum, Mike Ansolabehere and Patti and Don Houchin among others.

 (pictured in the photo from left to right are Jon Van Boening, Memorial chief development officer Sue Benham, Foundation board member Mike Ansolabehere, Costco's Tim Tunget and Gary McElmurry and Memorial's Janelle Capra.)

* ... SHORT TAKES AROUND TOWN: Congratulations to Dr. Thomas H. Stewart, a local dentist who practices over off San Dimas Street and who has been elected head of the California Dental Association. ....Elsewhere, it's hard to believe it's been a full month since San Joaquin Bank was officially shuttered in a joint FDIC and state Department of Financial Institutions operation. The bank was closed on October 16 and at the same time taken over by Citizens Business Bank out of Southern California... And finally remember that this Saturday night is "Wine Fest," the annual gala put on by the Junior League of Bakersfield out at the Kern County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $60 and you can pick them up at H. Walker's men's store on 17th Street or at Imbibe Wine and Spirits Merchant on Truxtun Extension. It runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.