A swarm of earthquakes hit Ridgecrest and the high desert, Casa Munoz heads to Las Vegas, Rep. Kevin McCarthy makes some predictions and what is with all the nude homeless people around town?

Friday, July 5, 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 community such a special place. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... JULY FOURTH: The downtown July Fourth parade, now 31 years old, keeps growing in size

and popularity. Mayor Karen Goh kicked off the festivities at the corner of Elm and 22nd Street as several hundred people walked the streets of old downtown to celebrate the birth of our nation. Enjoy these random shots.

* ... EARTHQUAKE: So where were you when the 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck on July Fourth? I was at the Bakersfield Racquet Club, taking a rest between pickle ball games, and sat in awe as i watched the huge light poles sway back and forth like a palm tree. Seismologists say we should expect more aftershocks of equal or even greater strength. take a look at this map of the known faults in our area.

 * ... TERM LIMITS: Remember David Abassi, the marijuana proponent who has tangled with both the city and the Board of Supervisors?  He says he is out of the cannabis business now, but he is not done with politics. His next goal is to gather enough signatures to put a initiative on the local ballot to establish term limits for the Board of Supervisors. "This could wipe out the entire board," he told me. "Wipe the slate clean."

* ... KEVIN MCCARTHY: Who does House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy think may win the Democratic presidential nomination? When we spoke earlier this week on The Richard Beene Show, McCarthy said Bernie Sanders was the best positioned to use his vast organization and fund raising ability to win the nomination. Joe Biden will fade, he said, and at this point in time, he said Sanders seems most likely to win the nomination.

 * ... CASA MUNOZ: One of our city's most iconic Mexican restaurants is moving to Nevada, and you can blame the high cost of doing business in California. Pep Munoz, part of the family that ran not only Casa Munoz but also Mexicali and Sinaloa, told me it was the rising cost of doing business here that led to the decision to leave California. Munoz blamed new fees and taxes and a rising minimum wage for his reason to live. If the minimum wage rises to $15 an hour, Munoz predicted there would be a mass exodus of full service restaurants. Munoz' father, Joe, will likely stay in town and possibly operate a much smaller restaurant, possibly in Shafter. The new eatery will be located in Henderson outside of Las Vegas and may be named either Sinaloa or Casa Munoz.

 * ... MORE PEP: And where does Pep Munoz go when he is not eating at his own restaurant? I posed that question to him and here is his list: Pyrenees Cafe, Uricchio's Trattoria, Sorella's, K.C. Steakhouse and Happy Jack's.

* ... HOMELESS: Here's a post on Facebook that speaks to our homeless crisis. No comments are necessary.

 * ... MEMORIES: Some old pictures of a Bakersfield in another time. First we see a scene from the old Golden Crust  Bread facility and then a shot of the stately old Southern Hotel, 19th Street and  Chester, circa 1898-1905. Enjoy.

As Monsignor Craig Harrison awaits his fate, a tight circle of friends form a protective barrier for him, The Bakersfield Californian changes hands and its press has its final run and remembering the old Beale clock tower on Chester

Monday, July 1, 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 community such a special place. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: It has been several months since the first allegations of sexual abuse were raised against Monsignor Craig Harrison, news that left his legions of followers literally in shock and disbelief. Since then other accusers have emerged, and we are now in a long waiting period to

determine if there will be any criminal charges, and perhaps more important, how the Diocese of Fresno will react. Harrison is back in town, dining and praying with a tight circle of friends and well heeled supporters, awaiting his fate. He is described as optimistic he will be cleared by police but less certain on what the church will do. Meanwhile, he is surrounded by a core group of Catholic friends who aggressively defend his honor and lash out at those who may question it. "If they sense you have doubts, they will try to destroy you," said one friend of Father Craig. "They have a list of people they think have turned on him. You don't want to be on that list." This group of insiders is careful about who Father Craig talks to, where he goes and they wisely cultivate "friendly" media who accept his innocence without question. Meanwhile, our community is divided into three camps: those will will always believe Father Craig, those who believe the accusers, and a largely silent group of people who know and respect and even love Father Craig but acknowledge that some (or all) of the accusers may be telling the truth. It is all polite on the surface, but underneath it is a level of toxicity and ugliness not seen often around here. "For all the talk about how nice people are in this town, something like this happens and you see how hateful people can be," a friend told me. "It's bad for all of us because it brings out the worst in us."

 * ... NEW ERA AT TBC: For the first time in more than 122 years, the local newspaper here - The Bakersfield Californian - is not owned by a local family. As of Monday, July 1, the paper is now owned by a Canadian based group that also owns the newspapers in Porterville, Lodi and Palmdale. The paper is now being printed in Palmdale and with the change a few dozen people lost their jobs. Staying on will be columnists Herb Benham and Bob Price, business reporter John Cox, feature writer Steve Mayer and longtime editors Stefani Dias and Christine Peterson. On the night of the last run of the TBC presses at Pegasus, a group of current and former employees were on hand as the giant, Japanese -made TKS press rumbled through its last run, shaking the building and bringing to an end a long era of family ownership.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD LIFE: Whatever the new owners do, I hope they don't mess with BakersfieldLife, the highly successful and well read monthly magazine. It is always an interesting and uplifting read and in Saturday's edition, it highlighted its annual "20 Under 40" issue to recognize upcoming leaders. I spotted some regular guests on The Richard Beene Show on that list, including Jessica Mathews of the League of Dreams, marketing tsar Shannon LaBare, illustrator Jennifer Williams Cordova, Dr. Valerie Civelli and Zack Skow of Marley's Mutts and CASA executive director Amy Travis.

 * ... MEMORIES: Don't you just love the old photos of the Beale Clock Tower? Thanks to the Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans Facebook pages.

Bishop Joseph Brennan breaks his silence on the allegations of sexual abuse, the honky tonk Trout's is no more and yet another iconic Bakersfield Mexican restaurant is for sale

Friday, June 28, 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 community such a special place. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... BISHOP BRENNAN: Bishop Joseph Brennan has broken his silence about the allegations of sexual abuse against Monsignor Craig Harrison and seven other priests in the Fresno diocese. While not naming Harrison directly, Brennan told KMPH in Fresno it is hard to maintain the presumption of innocence given the weight of the allegations. An excerpt from the interview: "Bishop Brennan says

that as the leader of the local Diocese, he looks at all the priests as his brothers, but admits it's hard to remain neutral when he hears the accusations some of them face. 'There are a few where I'm struggling preserving the presumption of innocence. In my position, you get to know things you don't want to know. You read things and you look at files and things start to add up in your own heart and mind cause you're human, and you start making judgments on that because you're human,' Brennan says. A review of abuse files is under way by a third-party, led a former FBI Executive Assistant Director. The Diocese has also handed over files to the State Attorney General's office. Bishop Brennan has personally met with prosecutors to offer his cooperation."

* ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "I don't give money to street beggars, but I almost did today to a white boy, just for his clever sign: 'Could you Pleez Spread Some Cheese on this Cracker?'"

 * ... CARMAX FIRE: The freeway fire that spread to the Carmax back parking lot destroyed or badly damaged almost 90 cars and trucks. It was near surreal, as these photos attest.

 * ... TROUT'S NO MORE: Trout's, that iconic honky tonk on North Chester, is no more. The old-time bar is now being gutted for a renovation that will make room for a medical facility. If you danced or hosted a cocktail there, it was your last time.

 * ... CASA MUNOZ: First we lost Sinaloa, then Mexicali West, and it looks like yet another local icon to Mexican food - Casa Munoz - may be heading the same way. The building at the corner of Union and 18th Street, home to some of the best Mexican fare and margaritas in town, is listed for sale for around $1 million. Time to show the Munoz family some love and catch dinner there.

* ... MEMORIES: So who knew we had a Piggly Wiggly in town? I learned this, and spotted this incredible old picture, on the Kern County of Old Facebook page. It had this caption: "View of the interior of The Piggly Wiggly store in Bakersfield in 1927 yes, we had one too. That store was located at 2029 Chester Avenue where Doug Hobbies stands now.'"

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And who doesn't remember Brock's?

More than half of Kern County's homeless describe themselves as drug users or mentally ill, get ready for a new hike in gas prices and Jastro Park set to get six new pickle ball courts

Monday, June 24, 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 community such a special place. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

* ... HOMELESS: Here are some statistics from the latest homeless census that will depress you: 51 percent of the Kern County homeless identify themselves as drug abusers, 27 percent say they are

mentally ill, 24 percent say they have a chronic illness, 71 percent say they have no income, 10 percent say they are victims of domestic violence, 10 percent say they are fresh out of jail or prison, 2 percent were in a mental health facility recently and 2 percent are out of a hospital. All of this points to one conclusion: housing alone will not solve this crisis. Those addicted to drugs or suffering from mental illness will be harder to get off the street.

 * ... MORE HOMELESS: An speaking of the homeless, former homebuilder and mayoral candidate Kyle Carter, who lives downtown, posted this as a sign of our times: "Well, I’ve seen it all now. I was driving home from work today, Saturday, 2 p.m. and noticed a young girl in her 20s just drop trow and defecate right on Mary K. Shell's front lawn. Right on the corner of 21st and Elm streets.  This business is beyond out of hand. I want to be a good Christian and show God's love. But does that include putting up with, cleaning up after and paying for the shenanigans of these people that choose to destroy their own lives ? I’ve done all I can. I’ve worked all of my life to make this community a better place for people to live. This is not safe. It is not healthy. I am sure that this is not what God condones. We have got to do better as a community."

 * ... GAS TAX: Think gas prices in California are high enough? Well think again because the price is about to jump another six cents a gallon in line with the transportation initiative approved by the voters. The price per gallon will jump another six cents on July 1, yet another insult in a state already overburdened by state taxes and fees.

 * ... ARCHITECTS: Congratulations to Paul Skarphol and Gregory Frank, who have merged their businesses to create Skarphol/Frank Associates, specialists in architecture, planning and interiors. The new business relocated to a building in the emerging "EastChester" area of downtown.

 * ... PICKLE BALL: Bakersfield is getting six new pickle ball courts at Jastro Park. The city stripped the old tennis courts on Truxtun to create six pickle ball courts and two tennis courts to accommodate the growing popularity of pickle ball around town. The courts will be dedicated next Saturday at 8 a.m. with City Manager Alan Tandy (himself a big pickle ball fan) doing the court dedication.

 * ... BUCKET LIST: Congratulations to Pam Taylor, who works at Elk Hills, for scratching off skydiving from her bucket list. Taylor did the jump Skydive Taft.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these old pictures from the Facebook Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans pages.

Layoffs at The Bakersfield Californian as a sale looms, more details on the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and is the "homeless" crisis really all about drug addiction and mental illness?

Friday, June 21, 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 community such a special place. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO: The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is coming to Kern

County, but we are all going to have to show some patience. Scott Nielson, manager for the project, appeared on The Richard Beene Show to talk about the scope of the project and when we can expect to see in completed. Nielson said clearing the environmental hurdles will take at least 18 month and construction another two years. Eventually, it will provide 2,000 jobs when the 400-room hotel is built, complemented by a dozen restaurants and bars and a concert venue. The Hard Rock empire is owned by the Seminole Indian tribe in Florida, and currently has worldwide revenues in the $4 billion range.

 * ... TBC SALE: Only the most ill informed thought the sale of the family owned Bakersfield Californian would turn out to be a good thing. And with each passing day, that truth is born out as we head to June 30, the day the sale will close. This week, the new owners met individually with staffers to tell them their fate. It was a scene not unlike the 1982 movie Sophie's Choice, where a young Meryl Streep wept as the Nazis forced her to choose which of her two children would live, or die. One who didn't make the cut was executive editor Jim Lawitz, a highly unpopular fellow who won't be missed. Thankfully, senior editor Bob Price and columnist Herb Benham did survive, as did graphics editor Glenn Hammett, one of the most valuable (and popular) members of the staff. Losing their jobs were copy editors Ron Stapp, Tim Heinrichs and Dennis Wynne, graphic designer Kent Kuehl and sales rep Lisa Lee. The entire pressroom and mailroom staff are also being laid off as the paper gets ready to move its printing operations to Palmdale.

 * ... SPOTTED DOWNTOWN: In full view of customers going to a leaving three of downtown's best restaurants - Uricchio's Trattoria, The 18Hundred and Mamma Mia - a vagrant is spotted with his pants down defecating on the street. Remember: we do not have a homeless crisis. We have a drug addiction and mental health crisis disguise as a homeless crisis.

 * ... ZARDES: How fun was it to watch Gyasi Zardes, a player for the U.S. national team, score a head goal in the game against Guyana in the 2019 Gold Cup soccer tournament. Zardes, with his signature blond mohawk, took a header and scored to help the Americans to a 3-0 win. Zardes was a standout with the CSUB soccer team. He graduated in 2012.

 * ... GRIMMWAY FARMS: Did you know that every carrot sold at Costco, anywhere in the world, is a Grimmway Farms carrot? That's right, the Bakersfield-based carrot company is the exclusive supplier of carrots to Costco's no matter where they are located. Under the leadership of CEO Jeff Huckaby, Grimmway just recently closed on the purchase of an organic food company in south Georgia, near Valdosta, which will allow the company to produce organic carrots and other vegetables to Publix and other Southern-based supermarkets.

 * ... MEMORIES: More pictures compliments of there Facebook pages devoted to Kern County's history.

Where is our homeless crisis in the national political dialogue, a virulent anti-church campaign involving Monsignor Craig Harrison emerges on social media and new pickle ball courts coming to Jastro Park downtown

Monday, June 17, 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 community such a special place.

 * ... HOMELESS: Does it strike you as odd that homelessness is never even mentioned among the

top candidates running for president in 2020? On the Democratic side, they talks about raising the minimum wage, universal (and free) healthcare, guaranteed housing for all Americans, reparations, open borders, dismantling ICE, capping credit card rates and forgiving student loans. All worthy aspirations I suppose, but what about the homeless scourge sweeping the nation? Not a peep, and it is happening all over. Meanwhile, just check out some of these photos of what is happening right here in our community.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My husband would take a bullet for me. But he would also criticize my driving on the way to the hospital."

 * ... TBC SALE: The folks over at The Bakersfield Californian are a nervous bunch these days as they wait for the sale of the family-owned newspaper to take effect at the end of this month. Will they stay in the building on Pegasus after the sale (the family retained ownership of the building)? Where will the paper be printed? Will the new owners cut the number of days the paper is printed? Will the new owners hike the subscription rates and go more digital? Will the employees be forced to reapply for their jobs? Already the new owners have told employees they will cash our their accrued vacation pay (sorry, no money for accrued sick pay) and they have pledged to find a local CEO. Stay tuned because big changes are coming.

 * ... MONSIGNOR CRAIG: The accusations of sexual abuse against Monsignor Craig Harrison have become part of a nationwide campaign to discredit and hold the Catholic Church responsible for its actions. The anti-Harrison campaign has turned virulent, hijacked by anti-church militant groups hellbent on exposing church corruption. Consider, for example, this online video making the rounds and collecting literally thousands of views. Harrison, meanwhile, continues to push back and proclaim his innocence, and has returned to Bakersfield and is making limited public appearances. Stay tuned.

 * ... PICKLEBALL: The city is getting ready to christen new pickle ball and tennis courts downtown in Jastro Park. On the sight of the old tennis courts, there will now be six new pickle ball courts and three new tennis courts to serve the community.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these photos from our local history Facebook pages.