Wrestling with the meaning of the election of Donald Trump, Terry Maxwell gets hung by the noose of the 24th Street widening project and RIP to the mainstream media

* ... TRUMP: My take on the election of Donald Trump comes down to this: all of us, especially the pollsters and the media, underestimated two important factors... the deep personal unpopularity of Hillary Clinton, and

more importantly the widespread feeling that Washington (our government) isn't working for a wide swath of America. Casting this as a rural versus urban vote is only partially true, and it overlooks a deep and serious anxiety in this country that the ruling elite (so to speak) operate under a different set of rules than the rest of us. Clinton, more so than President Obama, represented the idea that those in power can get away with conduct and behavior that would land others in jail. Dismissing rural and "fly over" voters as uninformed boobs seems to miss an important message that half the country does not want business as usual. Trump did not create this widespread national anxiety; instead he rode it and exploited it while offering an (albeit jarring) alternative. The fact that so many voters overlooked his well documented flaws speaks volumes about the level of distrust of the political establishment. (Below: a map circulating on social media)

 * ... LOCAL ELECTIONS: Locally, I was surprised to see the local school bond measures pass (they were all well funded), Ward 2 City Councilman Terry Maxwell was hung by the noose of his opposition to the 24th Street widening project, and Congressman David Valadao fought off Democrat Emilio Huerta in a particularly nasty slugfest that won my award for the most dishonest campaign of the season. Karen Goh looks headed to a squeaker of a win over Kyle Carter in the mayor's race, and Jeffrey Tkac sent Harold Hanson into forced political retirement in the Ward 5 council race.

* ... ENERGY: Trump's election will be good news for the oil and gas sector, and we can expect a dramatic rollback of environmental regulations that have been the hallmark of the Obama presidency. Expect the Keystone Pipeline to be built and for regulators to have a friendlier attitude toward both coal and hydraulic fracturing.

 * ... MAINSTREAD MEDIA: And finally, RIP to the mainstream media, the traditional "gatekeepers" of political thought who were violently repudiated in this election. Will we ever be able to trust the polls again?

* ... ELECTION HUMOR: From Twitter: On election day "I saw the line where they were giving out stickers and wound up getting a damn flu shot."

 * ... STEAKS: One of the best cooks in town, Mike Ariey of Big Mike's Ragin' BBQ, is serving up a 16-ounce New York steak lunch at The Mark every Friday. The steak comes with cowboy potatoes, chili beans, green salad and corn bread. Lunch is served in the out door patio next door (called The Park at The Mark on 19th Street) and is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. And if a steak isn't your think, try the garlic chicken or excellent slow cooked baby back ribs, my personal favorite.

* ... OLD BARS: Here's a puzzler some of you readers may be able to answer. Karen R. Williams wrote: "Many years ago, the family of two of my school friends owned a bar that I believe was located in the alley behind the Haberfelde Building. It was called Potts Back Door. My friends were Gloria and Steve Potts. I was wondering if this is the location of one of the bars that have been in the news recently. It sure brings back memories from the late 1950s." Anybody remember this place and what occupies the space today?

Adios to Harvey Hall, Bakersfield's longest serving mayor, get ready for the first Bakersfield Marathon and dealing with our litter problem around town

 * ... ELECTION: You know the sad thing about waking up with a new president-elect? There will be no honeymoon for the new president with the American public, and the vitriol and ill feelings that

have marked this campaign (thanks to two flawed candidates) will continue. I miss the days when a new presidency was met with a sense of hope, forgiveness and compromise.

* ... FAREWELL: One familiar character I will miss in the months ahead is Mayor Harvey Hall, our longest serving mayor who has brought dignity and decorum to the non-partisan office. Hall made a hard job look easy by keeping it simple; as he told a TV interviewer, his goal was "to facilitate good deeds and recognition." He was always gracious and defined the word 'inclusion' in a world that has become increasingly diverse. Sometimes it is just that simple.

* ... MARATHON: Have you determined where you will be this Sunday when the first Bakersfield Marathon hits the streets? The race will start at Cal State Bakersfield and wind its way through town (Stockdale Highway, California, Oleander, Westchester, up Chester, Columbus and Panorama before hitting the bike trail) and it will be a spectacle to watch. Take the time to research the route and be a part of this grand event.

* ... PAINTED PICKUPS: Have you seen those whimsically painted miniature pickup trucks about town? Juliet Smith wrote to say that her friends, Keri Gless and Katie Werdel, came up with the concept to benefit the Bakersfield Museum of Art. "Not only did they bring together artists, friends and businesses to raise funds to benefit the museum, they can be spotted each week with rags and bottles of 409, cleaning each of the 33 trucks! Their dedication and love of this wonderful project is an inspiration!"

 * ... CANNABIS: William Wood posed this question: "So when recreational pot becomes legal won't that put a whole new spin on the recipe for pot pie?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My kids wanted to know what it's like to be a mom so I woke them up at 2 a.m. to let them know my sock came off."

 * ... TRASH: Steve Green wrote to tell me there is an app called "City Sourced" that can be used to report graffiti and trash. Said Green: "Just go to the city of Bakersfield website for this app that is customized for Bakersfield. Once you have the app on your phone you can open the app, create a service request for everything from potholes, graffiti, landscaping, and illegal dumping amount other issues as well. When creating your request you have the ability to submit a picture and it will also mark the location with the GPS coordinates."

 * ... GRANTS: Congratulations to the winners of several sizable grants from The Bakersfield Californian (family) Foundation. Fall cycle winners included the Kern Literacy Council for its Fighting Illiteracy program, $25,000; the Special Olympics Southern California for $25,000; the
California Recreation Foundation/One Spade Youth Packers’ One Spade Youth Packers Improvement project for $50,000; the Wildlands Conservancy for its San Emigdio Sunset Theater at the Wind Wolves Preserve, $50,000; and the Kern Medical Center Foundation for its Infusion Therapy Clinic for $100,000.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: Kurt Seeger posed this question for all you old timers out there: " Who remembers the Let`s Eat sign on Golden State Highway, in front of the old Rancho Bakersfield Motel and restaurant?"

The demise of the "mainstream media," good news for the old Silver Fox and Karen Goh comes in for some criticism

 * ... ELECTION: One of the biggest losers in this election cycle is the mainstream media, however you choose to define it. Thanks to the internet and more sharply social media, this is a world where

everyone is a publisher, further eroding whatever influence and credibility the so-called "mainstream" media (traditional gatekeepers like network and cable television, local TV, newspapers etc) has enjoyed over the years. Increasingly, bloggers and activists who are savvy in social media and new distribution methods are the ones holding the influence in today's elections. It's up to us, the voters, to sift through the tsunami of lies and half truths that often pass as "news" these days.

 * ... SALVAGGIO: A good example of this trend is former city councilman Mark Salvaggio, who occasionally takes to the internet to share his political views. His latest: a stinging criticism of mayoral candidate Karen Goh whom he describes as deceptive and calculating. Said Salvaggio: "What do Emilio Huerta, Vince Fong, Tiffany Organ-Bowles, Cory Woodward, Kay Meek, Kyle Carter, and all other local candidates with ballot statements have in common?  They are all, unlike Karen Goh, being open or transparent with the people they want to vote for them. Goh is the only one who does not list her age. She is 60 years old. Why the secrecy over your age Karen?" He goes on: "Karen Goh will not openly talk with the press; she insists on any questions from the media be e-mailed to her first so she can have time to huddle with her campaign consultant, Mark Abernathy, to develop e-mail responses."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you ever get caught sleeping on the job… slowly raise your head and say 'in Jesus' name, amen.'"

 * ... SILVER FOX: More great news on the restaurant front: I was thrilled to read in The Californian that Rod and Julie Crawford, owners of Pyrenees Cafe, are buying the old Silver Fox lounge and will try to bring it back to is former glory. The Crawfords' track record at Pyrenees is nothing short of remarkable, and I have little doubt that their new eatery, to be called Silver Fox Starlite Lounge, will become one of the "it" places downtown.

 * ... MARATHON: The inaugural Bakersfield Marathon is set for next week (Sunday, November 13) and while it should be a good show for spectators, but be advised streets will be closed throughout town. It will start at near Cal State Bakersfield in the early morning, head down Stockdale Highway to Oleander, through Westchester, up Chester to Panorama Drive and back down the bike trail. People along the route are already talking Bloody Mary parties to cheer the nearly 2,000 runners when they pass. If you have questions about road closures, call (661) 249-6450 or email directors@activebakersfield.org.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the name of the pitcher for the Bakersfield minor league baseball team who got married at home plate at Sam Lynn Park. He later pitched for the Cleveland Indians. The pitcher: Don Mossi.

Every neighborhood needs a dog rescuer, Father Craig Harrison holds mass at his downtown home and Firestone Grill serves up some good eats

 * ... DOG RESCUE: Every neighborhood has one, and in the downtown area it is Kristen Belue, the friend of every stray animal she comes across. I ran into Kristen on a rainy Sunday as she was

cruising the downtown alleys looking for a skittish, stray mutt she hoped to rescue. She had food and water and hoped to lure the stray into her car. And this came just a few weeks after Kristen took in a very pregnant pit bull who quickly gave birth to a litter of adorable pups. "I can't help myself," she told me. "My husband is thinking, 'Who did I marry?'" The world needs more people like Kristen, and I am lucky she is in mine.

 * ... CRAIG HARRISON: Who else but Monsignor Craig Harrison could attract more than 100 people to his personal residence to hold Sunday mass? Harrison, who lives downtown, has been holding Sunday mass in his yard every few months. Neighbors bring lounge chairs (and occasionally a sip of wine), and line up in front of the porch of his 20th Street home in what has become something of a ritual. This weekend with the hint of rain, Harrison squeezed the crowd inside his house to hold mass.

* ... CRIME: I spotted this note on a friend's Facebook page: 'To my fellow Bridge (church) friends with Tahoes. My car was broken into while we were in church this morning and they took our third row of seats from our Tahoe. It was locked - they popped the back window. Spend the money and get the lock for them, wish I had."

• ... CORD CUTTING: Yet more evidence that the millennials ae cutting the cord and finding ways to live without traditional cable TV. As reported in Tech Shift: "Research by Piper Jaffray finds the most popular social platforms for teens (percentage who said they used it at least one time per month) are: Snapchat (80 percent), Instagram (74 percent) and Facebook (60 percent). Meanwhile, the survey also found the most popular daily video services used are Netflix (37 percent), YouTube (26 percent) and cable TV (25 percent).

 * ... FOODIE: I rarely go to the Firestone Grill on California because I make a rule of steering away from the Highway 99 gridlock, but I may have to rethink that after dropping in the other day. Fast, attentive service, an array of big screen TVs suitable for college football and an outstanding Southwestern chicken salad that deserves your attention.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and former Rep. Bill Thomas go different ways on the Bakersfield mayor's race, and the hit group HoneyHoney appears Friday at Temblor Brewing Co.

 * ... POLITICS: One of the curious sideshows in this year's election is the split between House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and his old boss, former Rep. Bill Thomas, on the Bakersfield

mayor's race. McCarthy has endorsed Karen Goh while Thomas has thrown his reputation and influence behind former homebuilder Kyle Carter. Wouldn't you love to be a fly on the wall when McCarthy and Thomas are discussing the Goh-Carter showdown and why they ended up in different camps?

* ... TRASH: Sometimes when I am out and about I torture myself by making mental notes of the various kinds of trash I see about our community. We are a community of litterers, but this goes beyond the fast food cups and paper bags you see everywhere. Among the items I spotted this week: an old washing machine, a discarded copier, a broken and rusted baby stroller, tires, roof shingles, diapers and of course the ubiquitous soiled mattress and box spring.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My eyes are just fine... It's my life that's out of focus."

 * ... LIVE MUSIC: When was the last night you got out of your comfort zone and enjoyed some live music in town? Tonight (Friday) at 6:30 p.m. a dynamic duo called HoneyHoney will appear at Temblor Brewing Co. Trust me on this: the music of singer and violinist Suzanne Santo and vocalist and guitarist Ben Jaffe will leave you tapping your toes with a smile on your face. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased at the door.

 * ... OUR TOWN: Pat Chandler had visitors in town recently and had this to say: "Just had company come in for a flying visit from London, via San Francisco and Napa. They are pretty sophisticated world travelers, plus being vegetarians. What to do with them? I put them up at the Padre Hotel and took them to dinner at Valentien. Not only were they delighted, but also impressed. Nice one Bakersfield!"

 * ... CHANGES: Hal Bopp read my post on the closing of Orchard Supply Hardware and added this: "Things don't change, do they? I was just as sad to see Vons close its store in the same building on Ming and Ashe back in 1991 (plus or minus).  When we moved into our Courtside at Laurelglen condo in 1990, we were happy to have a grocery store right across the street that we could walk to.  Then, the Marketplace opened just down the street with a more ginormous Vons Super Market. Vons' first statement was that they had not made a decision on the Ming and Ashe store. When they announced that it was closing no more than about three weeks later, it was pretty clear they knew all along."

 * ... GOOD FORM: And finally, Shirley Rowles shared this surprise she experienced recently.
"My oldest, dearest art friends, Coral and Nancy, had arranged an 85th birthday lunch for me at the Red Pepper.  We had a great visit with a lot of laughs. When we were ready to leave we were informed that a lovely lady at a nearby table had paid for our birthday lunches when she left. It was a delightful surprise and we all plan to pay it forward."

Orchard Supply Hardware is going out of business, photographer Casey Christie set to retire from The Bakersfield Californian and Alissa Carlson prepares her return from maternity leave

 * ... ORCHARD: I was sad to see the huge "Store Closing" sign draped across the entrance of Orchard Supply Hardware on Ming Avenue. I suppose it was just a matter of time before Orchard

was gobbled up (Orchard was bought by Lowe's a few years ago) but I will miss the attentive customer service at this location. The days of the smaller mom and pop hardware stores seem to be coming to a close, a shame, but a sign of the times.

* ... CASEY CHRISTIE: I ran into Casey Christie this past weekend and the award winning Californian photographer told me he is retiring at the end of this year. Over the almost three decades Christie has worked at The Californian, he has won legions of fans for his stunning photography that has graced the pages of our local newspaper. His shots of wildlife are a particular favorite of mine, and who can forget the way he captured a family of owls standing at attention? Most photographers do their work in anonymity, but Christie has always been a fan favorite. So here's to Casey Christie, a family man, a true professional, a gentleman and a friend.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: And speaking of local treasures, I ran into Casey Christie at the Fox Theater where Monsignor Craig Harrison was unveiling his new star on the Fox sidewalk. Harrison's star was sponsored by his eight adopted children and a gaggle of grandchildren.

* ... ALISSA CARLSON: Reader Sue Bramen wrote to ask when that "sweet weather" forecaster Alissa Carlson was returning to KGET from maternity leave. Well according to her Facebook page, it looks Carlson is set to resume her role as KGET's chief meteorologist any time now. Carlson took three months off after giving birth to her daughter. Meanwhile, KGET morning anchor Maddie Janssen is taking a few months off to prepare for delivery of her third child.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Marriage is an institution. And like all institutions the inmates are always looking for ways to escape."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A local lawyer is speaking to a friend: "Last year we were all thinking about the drought and only one person on my street planted winter rye. This year everyone is."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Up on Panorama Drive on Saturday morning, a man and his young son are walking the bluffs with a large black trash bag picking up the litter others have left behind.

 * ... MEMORIES: Former mayor Mary K. Shell responded to John Pryor's post about the open fields west of Oak Street. "He mentioned local Joe Shell’s oil patch.' My husband, Joe, an independent oil operator in those years, liked to tell the story of flying from LA and landing his plane on an open field west of Oak street to check on a well. This was in the late 1940s or early 1950s after World War II. But Kern County Land Company eventually brought a halt to his idea of efficiency.  They said the plane scared their cattle."

Step aside all you negative people, researchers show happy people really do have more fun ... plus a trip to Lakeside School and LGBTQ group shuns both mayoral candidates

 * ... LAKESIDE: Want to feel good about America and our country? Spend a few hours in one of our local classrooms and chances are you will come out impressed with the level of teaching and

surprised at how bright our kids are these days. I rarely set foot inside a school these days, but this week I spoke to Joseph Andreotti's AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) class at the Lakeside School. My thoughts: a committed teacher, promising and bright students and a supportive faculty and administration.

 * ... HAPPINESS: And here's something else that lifted my spirits: researchers say people who are genuinely happy, kind and sympathetic really do have more fun. That's good news in a world where narcissism and pettiness seem to rule the landscape in politics and entertainment. Said the Wall Street Journal: "Nice people, rejoice: Notwithstanding the prominent examples today in political and popular culture, the best available research still clearly shows that in everyday life the nice people, not the creeps, do the best at work, in love and in happiness."

* ... QUEER THE VOTE: So what do you think of the movement to write in "Queer the Vote" instead of voting for either Kyle Carter or Karen Goh as mayor? That's the recommendation of some folks in our local LGBTQ community who are unhappy with either candidate. Neither Carter nor Goh, they argue, has done enough to embrace the gay, lesbian and transgender community. To his credit, Carter has been up front about saying he would not participate in a gay pride parade for fear or angering some segment of the community. (Carter says he has gay friends but on this issue he will not get involved.) Goh has been consistent too in dodging the question and failing to return calls. This issue is hardly large enough to turn this election, but it's an interesting sideshow in this show we call the 2016 election campaign.

* ... FOODIE: If you like food that talks back to you, try the new spicy chicken sandwich at The Padre Hotel, part of its new menu that was rolled out recently.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Bad Hombre" is the name of the cologne I buy at the Dollar Store."

 * ... WATER TOWER: Remember the old water tower that was taken down at Bakersfield High School to make way for the renovation at Griffith Field? It's now at the Kern County Museum and a group of Driller supporters are looking for input on how to make it a star attraction there. There will be a meeting at 4:30 p.m. on November 2 to discuss this. For more information call Jami Anderson at (661) 633-0340.

 * ... GOOD FORM: And hats off to those ladies over at the Assistance League of Bakersfield who will be contributing books to the students at Stella Hills Elementary School this Saturday. Said Dona Chertok: "We are participating in the Make a Difference Day; on which thousands of volunteers will be giving back to their communities. On Oct. 22, volunteers from across the country will unite for Make A Difference Day, one of the largest annual single-days of service nationwide."

 * ... LIBRARIES: Those mini, roadside libraries about town are about to celebrate their fourth anniversary. Named after the late Wendy Wayne, an educator and inspiring community activist, there are now some 63 libraries in Kern County, according to Susan Reep. One of them, located in front of Bernadette Ferguson's house on C Street, was featured on a Times Square billboard as a finalist in a Black and Decker contest.

Bobcats are spotted on the bike trail in southwest Bakersfield, outdoors columnist Steve Merlo dies and sharing some memories of old Bakersfield

 * ... BOBCATS: There have been more bobcat sightings out on the bike trail to the west of town, the latest coming earlier this week when my friend Jason Barnes was cycling out toward Enos Lane.

Barnes managed to snap a handful of pictures of the young cat as he rode past. The bobcat seems undisturbed by Barnes on his bike and simply sauntered alongside the path as Barnes rode past, cell phone camera in hand. The drought has pushed bobcats and other wildlife closer to the neighborhoods in the southwest, but there have been no indications that they pose a threat to anyone.

 * ... CYCLISTS: And speaking of cyclists, Bakersfield has always had a robust cycling community but there has been a noticeable spike in the number of cycling "commuters" on our streets, particularly in the downtown area where millennials on fixed gear bikes share the road with the more serious recreational cyclists. If you are driving, make sure you are alert and "share the road" with these folks.

 * ... STEVE MERLO: I was saddened to learn that outdoors columnist Steve Merlo died of an apparent heart attack. Merlo was an avid outdoorsman, and I appreciated how he wrote about the hunting and shooting sports in ways that made them accessible to folks who never owned a weapon. He was a strong advocate of the 2nd Amendment, a proponent of the environment and a level head when it came to how the shooting sports can play a healthy role in our society.

 * ... OVERHEARD: A commuter who lives on the east side of town but works off Truxtun is telling a colleague: "I just won't go through California and Oak at rush hour anymore. I am thinking of taking Rosedale to Mohawk ... that is how bad it has gotten."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK:" I’ll call it a smartphone the day I yell 'Where’s my phone' and it yells 'Down here! In the couch cushions!'

 * ...MEMORIES: Here’s a follow-up on Loren Stroppe’s memories of Ewing’s Stockdale Inn, compliments of Cheryl Saki: "After the Ewings failed to renew the lease on the site with the owner of Tenneco Oil, the building was purchased by a group of local businessmen. It was cut in half and moved to California and Oak at the site of the Santa Fe Railroad Roundhouse. The building was remodeled to resemble a train station with a vintage Pullman car sitting on the tracks in front. An authentic red caboose was located inside for additional seating for diners. The restaurant was named the Iron Horse and it was decorated with artifacts from closed train stations throughout the state. Milton Huggs of Milt’s Coffee Shop was the owner of the Iron Horse. Milt eventually sold the restaurant and the property was turned into the the strip mall that currently occupies the corner of California and Oak. I am honored to say that Milt is my dad and I am so proud of his creative genius that has enhanced and enriched the restaurant scene in Bakersfield for the past 50 plus years."

* ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally, John Pryor adds this memory when "all development west of Oak Street was limited to cattle grazing land of Kern County Land Company. My uncle, dentist C. E. (Doc) Pryor lived on the west side of Oak, north of Brundage. He had horses corralled behind his home... My parents belonged to Stockdale Country Club at the time (with something like $22 per month for dues).  o get there, we had to drive through all open fields between Oak and Fairway except for one little frame building. The sign said Shell -- not global Shell Oil but rather local Joe Shell's 'oil patch.' That was in the 1930s and 40s. Even in the 1950s when I played on the Bakersfield College golf team (Jack Frost was coach) this was evident. The surroundings of Stockdale were all open fields for cattle grazing."