Lois Henry creates a non-profit to focus on Central Valley water issues, Bob Price takes a swipe at House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy and some really bad form by our local Downtown Business Association

 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 reflect the views of any other individual, organization or company. 

 * ... SHE'S BACK: How great was it to open the Sunday Bakersfield Californian and see Lois

Henry's mug on the front page? That's right, more than a year after she unceremoniously left the newspaper (more on that later) Lois is back writing as a contractor representing her new non-profit, SJV Water, devoted to California's long and complex history with water. The Sunday story is yet another Lois must-read, exposing how local water agencies and officials are struggling to comply with tough new regulations on groundwater. Lois understands, as few do, that the issue of water and water rights is more than just a simple question of who gets the water: farmers or city folk? Even in years of severe drought, our farmers and water agencies have been selling water to other agencies and cities (losing it forever) all the while increasing the acreage under cultivation via drip irrigation that allows cultivation on land that heretofore was unsuitable for farming, like the west side of Kern. While this is going on, farmers draw on groundwater that is gradually sinking the valley floor- literally. Lois is a local crown jewel resource who should never have left the newspaper (former editor Jim Lawitz wins my 'bonehead of the year" award for allowing her and Eye Street editor Jennifer Self to walk out the door at a time newspapers are struggling to stay relevant) but having her back in print writing about water is a good compromise. Check out Lois' non-profit website at SJVwater.org. And by the way, Lois appears on The Richard Beene Show every Monday at 1:30 p.m. on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM.

 * ... BAD FORM: And speaking of boneheaded moves, shame on the Downtown Business Association for seeking to profit on our homeless crisis. The DBA, never missing a chance to feather its own nest, is having a luncheon to address homelessness, featuring people like DA Cynthia Zimmer and City Councilman Andrae Gonzales, two public officials who are always accessible to the media and others. The DBA is charging the princely sum of $65 for lunch, held at a venue owned by one of the DBA supporters and officers Bob Bell. Do we really have to pay the DBA to hear our public officials talk? And there you have it.

 * ... BOB PRICE: One of the handful of award winning journalists left at The Californian is Bob Price, who used his column Sunday to criticize House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy for his unwavering support of President Trump. "It is well past time for McCarthy to cautiously extricate himself from the circle of support around this president, toward whom I believe history will not be kind. I understand attempting such a maneuver is fraught wth challenge, but lingering near this looming implosion will be further detrimental to McCarthy's career and yes, his legacy." McCarthy replied, citing the robust Trump economy, the loosening of regulations to the benefit of business and his renegotiation of trade deals with other countries.

 * ... SEMPER FIDELIS: Congratulatons to Phililp R. Brandon, a local boy who graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps boot camp this weekend in Parris Island, S.C. He now heads to Camp Lejeune, N.C. for eight weeks of rifle and munitions training. Phil went to grade school at Our Lady of Perpetual Help and was a 2010 graduate of Garces Memorial High School. He now lives on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, where he volunteers for the Edgartown Fire Department and works Eversource, the local utility. His parents are Esther and Rogers Brandon of La Cresta and his brother, Sam, also graduated from Garces Memorial.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: Here is something to think about, lifted from Facebook: "Do you think Bakersfield could get away with this today? I lived on a street named Monitor and walked to my grade school named Plantation, which was on a street named White Lane. My Jr High was named Greenfield and my high school was South High. South was surrounded by streets named after the Confederacy. At that time (early 70s) our mascots where Johnny and Jody Rebel... for half of the four years I attended we actually had the authentic Confederate flag, which the Rebels twirled behind the marching band at every football game and parade. Our student body was at least (guessing) 30 percent black. I often wonder how they felt about their school.?Times were different then to say the least. Trying not to make a judgment just an observation."

* ... HOMELESS: Meanwhile the vagrant curse in our community continues unabated. Missing a trash or green waster dumpster? Chances are it is being used by one of our street vagrants.

 * ... MEMORES: Here are some more random shots of the old Hotel Lebec on the old Grapevine Road. Enjoy.

The first Sikh deputy in Texas is shot and killed, Bakersfield gets its own 'poop patrol' to help clean up the streets and the Milk Carton Kids come to the Crystal Palace this week

 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 reflect the views of any other individual, news organization or business. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... RIP OFFICER: Do you remember when a group of local Kern County veterans and others drove to Texas with supplies in the wake of Hurricane Harvey? The group - among them were Chad

Garcia, Christopher Quiñones, Julio Torres, Kenny Sanders and Richard Joseph Forrester - were met in Rockport, Texas, by local Harris County deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, a friendly Sikh deputy who helped coordinate the delivery. Garcia called him an "amazing man and a true humanitarian." It turns out deputy Dhaliwal was shot and killed on duty recently, yet another senseless killing that leaves us all speechless. Police said Dhaliwal was shot in the back during a routine traffic stop by a suspect identified as 47-year-old Robert Solis. Said Garcia: "Sad, sad news which also angers us that such a good man is taken from the nation and our world."

 * ... CLEANUP: I stand in awe of the dozens of people who volunteer their time every weekend to help clean up our streets of trash and other debris. It may be a losing effort in the end - after all who can keep up with the homeless and vagrants trashing our streets? - but it points to a level of civic pride that we should all admire. Here are some shots of the Saturday clean up, thanks to Mayor Karen Goh who is always at the forefront of these efforts.

 * ... POOP PATROL: Meanwhile, the city has contracted with a company to clean up feces in the central business district. City Councilman Andrae Gonzales said the poop patrol will start Monday, but he cautioned it will only pick up feces, nothing else. So if this city-paid workforce walks right past trash or vomit they just leave it? Seems like we could have done better with a more all inclusive trash patrol, but at least this is a start. Gonzales noted: "As the City of Bakersfield continues to work toward addressing homelessness concerns, the City has contracted with a private cleaning service to remove human excrement from areas of Downtown Bakersfield and Old Town Kern. Starting Monday, September 30, a service will be available in response to reports for cleanup between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.The crews will ONLY clean up human feces (no other waste or trash) during those hours, and within the area ..."

 * ... CONCERT: If you are into live music, you might consider checking out the Grammy nominated Milk Carton kids who will appear at the Crystal Palace on Thursday evening. The show is being presented by Rick Kreiser's Guitar Masters and Passing Through Productions. The opening act is Madison Cunningham, an up and coming arts worth checking out. Go to the Crystal Palace website for tickets.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these random pictures of the old Hotel Lebec on the old Grapevine Road between Bakersfield and Los Angeles.

Turmoil at the Kern County Fair as an audit reveals gross mismanagement, Robin Fleming is hired by state Sen. Shannon Grove and remembering the late great Mexicali West ...

 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 reflect the views of any other individual, news organization or business. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... FAIR SCANDAL: You can bet some heads are going to roll following a state audit which claims that hundreds of thousands of dollars may have been misspent by management at the Kern County Fair. The audit did not specifically say who was responsible, and it remains to be seen if we

are talking about Fair employees or perhaps members of its Board of Directors, which has always comprised a "who's who" in Kern County. The audit put the spotlight on board chairman Blodgie Rodriguez, who declined to comment, as did fellow board member NaTesha Johnson. Also remaining silent is Fair CEO Michael Olcott, who seemed to be singled out by the audit in one case for failing to provide receipts for dinners. The audit alleges that people enjoyed sumptuous dinners of lobster and expensive wine, charged air travel and alcohol and left lavish tips. To say this is serious is an understatement, and while Olcott is much beloved in the community, many are expecting him to be an early casualty of all this. Members of the Fair board are appointed by the governor (it's why the board is so weighted toward Democrats or Republicans at any given time). In addition to Rodriguez and Johnson, other members of the Fair board include Ned Dunphy, Jared Britschgi, Cesar Chavez, Lucas Espericuetea, David Lidgett and David Torres.

 * ... LATE BREAKING: After the above item was filed, KBAK reported this on its website.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - A California State audit found that the Kern County Fair CEO Mike Olcott and maintenance supervisor Joe Hebert reportedly "allowed—and often participated in—the gross mismanagement of state resources" in a report published August 20.

The audit found more than $300,000 in questionable spending between 2016 and 2018, much of it spent on travel, expensive meals, and alcohol.

While the report doesn't say which California fair they audited, to protect the identities of the employees named in the report, multiple sources tell Eyewitness News it was the Kern County Fair that is at fault.

The audit found that the fair, funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, had no receipts for $132,000 worth of credit card purchases, over $30,000 in "excessive and unauthorized" out of state travel, and more than $1,200 spent on alcohol.

Christopher Medellin, a maintenance mechanic who worked at the fair from July 2017 until he quit in June 2019, said the fair was the most unethical place he's ever worked.

"Nobody felt like they can actually say anything, and anything happen," Medellin said.

He claims he reported misuse of funds and vehicles to Olcott and was later yelled at by his supervisor for saying anything. The audit mentions instances when employees denied using state resources for unauthorized purposes, but auditors saw them doing it.

"The maintenance supervisor and the CEO claimed that the maintenance supervisor took the state-owned vehicle home at most twice a week when he needed to pick up work-related materials on his way to or from the fairgrounds. However based on our observations and witness statements, he used the state-owned vehicle nearly every day as if it were his personal truck," the audit claims.

Medellin said he and others were coached on what to tell the auditors, or they'd be fired.

A receipt collected in the report shows a fair employee paid $400 for steaks, $125 for a lobster surf dinner, and spent more than $600 on wine vodka, hard cider, and cocktails.

"They definitely overspent. They wouldn't do that with their own money," Medellin said.

Three sources tell Eyewitness News that Hebert paid fair employees for side jobs, instructing them to clock in at the fairgrounds, work offsite for the day, and return at the end of the day to clock out at the fairgrounds. They reportedly used state trucks and materials to do those jobs.

Medellin was complicit in these tasks, claiming he worked on vehicles, billboards, and even helped move Olcott's daughter's furniture with a fair truck.

The audit recommended that Olcott and Hebert be appropriately disciplined and pay back the money, and added that more oversight by the board of directors and the CDFA is in order.

In response, the fair board of directors said they would work to find an equitable way to pay back the money and better oversee future spending, but did not report than any disciplinary action would be taken against Olcott or Hebert.

 * ... ROBIN FLEMING: Congratulations to Robin Fleming who has been appointed director for state Sen. Shannon Grove's 16th State Senate office here in town. Fleming is well known locally, a respected voice, and a good addition to Grove's local staff.

* ... CODY KESSLER: Good news for Centinnial High and USC graduate Cody Kessler: he has been traded to the New England Patriots to serve as a backup to Tom Brady. Kessler previously played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Whenever I lose my wife in a busy shopping mall, I just start whispering to myself 'You're right' and she immediately appears to tell me that I'm wrong."

 * ... FACEBOOK: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spent last week on Capitol Hill defending the social media giant's privacy policies, and he dropped by the office of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for a chat. When McCarthy wanted to share a picture of him with Zuckerberg, he did it on Facebook of course.

 * ... SHOOTING SPORTS: The Kern County Gun Club is once again offering a terrific course for young shooters, opening its skeet, trap and sporting clays courses to youths aged 12 through high school. The courses run for six months (starting now) and classes are held once a month. The cost is just $75 and includes ammunition, targets and lunch. A shotgun will be provided. The class director is Bruce Binns, an accomplished skeet shooter, who will train the youths in basic gun safety and techniques. Call Bruce at (661) 333-4980 for more information.

 * ... MEXICALI WEST: Did you see that old Mexicali West building has been demolished? That's right, the Gamez family sold the iconic restaurant and it will not be replaced by an office building with two small restaurants. Mexicali West had a strong local following, and this Facebook post testifies to the loyalty its customers had for the place. Said Mariane McLucas Reyes: "I actually got 2 roof tiles from Mexicali West as mementos, from a job foreman when they started the demo. I worked there as a teen, had dozens of birthday dinners there and though we still eat at the downtown location, West was just a wonderful respite from your day. Calming views sitting by the glass window of the California Room, staff that never let your water or tea glass go unfilled (thanks to Esther Gamez's rules for service). West was always magical at Christmas and just a beautiful restaurant, unlike any other we have in town. I will miss it, always."

 * ... TRASH: Here is an ugly scene taken on Chester Avenue in front of the Stars Theater. The craziness continues but at least in this case, the city was quick to clean up the mess.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this photo from 1969 showing the Wheeler Ridge pumping station, compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. And then there is the second picture, from the 1930s or 1940s, of the old water wheel at Hart Park.

Bakersfield is a house divided over the allegations against Monsignor Craig Harrison, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer is laser-focused on the homeless and crime issue and Gene Voiland is honored by Washington State University

Sunday-Monday, September 22-23, 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. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not reflect the views of any other individual, news organization or business. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: How bad has the rift in our community become over the investigation into molestation charges against Monsignor Craig Harrison? Well, it is hard to believe it could get any worse. Friendships have fallen by the wayside as the community has taken sides: those who believe

Father Craig without reservation, and those who have taken a wait and see attitude to give respect to the accusers. There simply is no in between with some people. Disagree and you are the enemy, worthy of being ostracized, isolated and ridiculed. Stand by Father Craig and you are spitting in the face of young people who may have been victimized by his own hands. While we wait on the Diocese of Fresno to rule on his fate, Father Craig's legal team papers critics with lawsuits, a tried and true legal strategy meant to intimidate others into remaining silent. (Some even talk openly of suing the Roman Catholic church) Many Craig supporters are withholding support from the church, feeling that if they can hurt the church financially, it will force the Diocese of Fresno to bring him back. When his supporters speak of the worse case scenario (that Harrison is not allowed back in his old position) there is even talk of Father Craig opening his own church. Would cradle to grave Catholics actually leave the church to follow Father Craig, a move that seems more evangelical in focus than Roman Catholic? Does the person trump the faith? This is likely more of an emotional reaction than reality, but the mere fact it is being talked about speaks to the level of discord this whole case has left in our community. Let's all hope this issue is resolved quickly before more damage is done.


 * ... HOMELESS: If there is one person who understands the public frustration over homelessness, it is District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. During an appearance on The Richard Beene Show, I asked her to respond to people who say our community lacks compassion in dealing with this crisis. Zimmer didn't blink, referring to all this as a drug, crime and safety issue. "I am not a social worker," she told me. Rather, she is here to make our community safe. Bravo! Zimmer spoke at length about her plan to prosecute, and jail, repeat misdemeanor offenders, not the end-all solution but certainly a start. Count me in as one of those who has reached the boiling point. The photo below shows a vagrant in the alley behind my house, resting after shooting up. It is all too common these days. And then I spotted this post on Facebook: "I had a homeless drug addict high on heroin walk through my front door in broad daylight telling me,  'I had what he wanted and he was here to get it' over and over as I ran out screaming my face off and my kids were upstairs. This was on 18th street south of 24th. I found needles in the alley, was awakened by shouting in the middle of the night, someone had a party on my lawn... I could go on and on. This is a DANGER to our community."

 * ... GENE VOILAND: Congratulations to Gene Voiland, retired CEO of Aera Energy, who was honored by his alma mater, Washington State University, with a Foundation award recognizing his contributions to the university. A 1969 graduate of WSU, Violand has given generously to his alma mater and in fact the engineering school was named after him: the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering.

* ... GO RUNNERS: The CSUB men's basketball team unveiled its new schedule this week, and it features some terrific matches against top ranked teams. On Nov. 23 the Runners will travel to Spokane, Wash., to play Gonzaga, always a top 10 contender, and on Dec. 7 they travel south to play Ole Miss, where CSUB Coach Rod Barnes played and also coached, earning SEC coach of the year honors.. Finally, our Runners will play Texas Tech in the Lone Star state on Dec. 29.

* ... BARBECUE: The arrival of fall and cooler temperatures means it's barbecue fundraising season again in Kern County. One of the biggest with perhaps the worthiest of causes is the annual St. Vincent de Paul Homeless Center Fall BBQ. It will be held Thursday, October 3 at the facility at 316 Baker Street. Doors open at 5 p.m., and guests can enjoy a NY steak or Teriyaki chicken and all the trimmings, grilled to valet parking will also be available. The day-facility receives no federal funding and relies on this event to provide two hot meals a day, access to restrooms and showers, and social services to upwards of 200 men, women and sometimes children every day. As everyone in our community grapples with the growing homelessness problem in our area, consider the ticket the most important $35 you'll spend all year. Tickets available at the door and at the Thrift store next door.

 * ... MEMORIES: Take a walk down memory lane with me and feast on these photos of Bakersfield back in the day.

Anti-gun activist and Stoneman High survivor David Hogg to appear at CSUB, Monsignor Craig's legal team goes on the offensive, and the attack on local businesses by the drug addicted continues unabated

Thursday-Friday, September 19-20, 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.

* ... DAVID HOGG: The Kegley Institute of Ethics will devote its spring speaker series to David Hogg, one of the survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in south Florida. Hogg,

now 19, has since become an anti-gun activist and crusader and a polarizing figure for pro Second Amendment advocates. Hogg's appearance was announced by Kegley director Dr. Michael Burroughs on The Richard Beene Show. No details yet on exactly when Hogg will appear at CSUB. Meanwhile, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Arun Gandhi, will appear at Kegley's Fall lecture on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Dore Theater.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: Monsignor Craig Harrison's legal team has filed yet another lawsuit against his accusers, this one aimed at a monk who accused Harrison of inappropriately touching and fondling young men. This time Harrison's attorneys filed a suit against Justin Gilligan, who told investigators that Harrison had touched the genitals of young men, told homosexual jokes and engaged in pornography. The monk once worked with Harrison at St. Francis Parish in Bakersfield. If you remember, Harrison's attorneys have already sued a Catholic watch group group - Roman Catholic Faithful - for defamation. The filing of the suits opens Harrison to cross examination and depositions which will of course allow his detractors to repeat, in graphic detail, the sordid details of the charges he has been fighting. The monk's allegations were detailed to police with the full cooperation of the Diocese of Fresno, which suspended Harrison pending a full investigation. As noted plaintiff's lawyer Daniel Rodriguez said, at times this strategy can backfire, but it is clear that Harrison's legal team has taken the fight to his accusers, no matter what the cost.

 * ... LIVE AUCTION; Speaking of Father Craig, did you hear about the live auction to benefit a local program this past week? It turns out one of the items being auctioned was dinner with Father Craig, and it went or a whopping $27,000 thanks to a winning bid by a local business owner. The bid speaks volumes about the enormous support that Father Craig enjoys among well heeled Catholics and others about town, some of the same people who are contributing to his defense fund that pays for the lawsuits against his detractors. It also reflects the great divide between the Catholic Church and pro-Harrison parishioners, many of whom have withdrawn their monetary support of the church in hopes of pressuring the diocese into returning Harrison to his old job.

 * ... CRIME: The tsunami of petty crime committed by street vagrants, the mentally ill and the drug addicted continues unabated. Over the weekend the newly renovated offices of Skarpohol Frank architects downtown were vandalized. The front door was bashed in and the lobby ransacked, yet the only item stolen was a jar of candy. Meanwhile, police were called to Dagney's Coffee house downtown to deal with a pair of screaming homeless, and so it goes.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Hey, @BetoORourke, actual Texan here. I regret to inform you that your request to buy my legally purchased firearms has been denied after your background check revealed your criminal record. Don’t want to take any chances. Xoxo."

 * ... JEFF SIMPSON: One of the founders of Sequoia Sandwich Co. has joined American General Media as chief financial officer. Jeff Simpson, who along with partner Gary Blackburn built Sequoia into a powerhouse local lunch spot and went on to sell it last year, joined the Bakersfield-based radio company this week. AGM operates six radio stations in town, including KERN News Radio.

 * ... MEMORIES: Two of my favorite Facebook pages - Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans - deal with our living history. Here are some more nuggets from those pages.

The sheriff and the district attorney plan to step up enforcement on the streets, good news for our homeless crisis, Trump sends experts to Los Angeles to check on that street crisis and getting ready for another Bakersfield Marathon

Monday, September 16, 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: This may be some of the best news yet to come out of battle against drug addiction, homelessness and and street crime. It looks like District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and

Sheriff Donny Youngblood are working together to find ways to prosecute people for misdemeanors, now that Sacramento has decriminalized all but the most serious of violent offenses. This excerpt is from The Californian: "Due to limited jail space, deputies in Kern County typically give out citations for those arrested on suspicion of drug possession or stealing less than $950. But law enforcement officials say those cited seldom show up in court, and the next time they are arrested they simply receive another ticket and give another promise to show up. “We’d like to be able to not give someone a ticket who has possession of drugs, a ticket to someone who has vandalized, a ticket for someone with a promise to go to court,” Zimmer said. “Because they don’t go to court. They don’t go to court because they are high and they can’t make these kinds of decisions. They have to go to jail.” It won't solve everything, but it is an important step forward.

 * ... MORE HOMELESS: The Trump administration has sent experts to Los Angeles to study the homeless crisis, and what they saw was not pretty. There are an estimated 45,000 people living on the streets in Los Angeles, and along with that have come typhoid, and invasion of rats and other public health issues. Rev. Andy Bales of Union Mission church told Forbes that five of the visitors were from the Environmental Protection Agency because "human waste flows into storm sewers." But that is not all. Bales also warned of types of homeless he is seeing. "We are seeing behaviors from our guests that I’ve never seen in 33 years,” said Bales. “They are so bizarre and different that I don’t even feel right describing the behaviors. It’s extreme violence of an extreme sexual nature. I have been doing this for 33 years and never seen anything like it.”

 * ... WEDDING: Congratulations to Blake Strong and Emily Holtzman tied the knot Sunday in a lovely ceremony at the new Metro Special Events space on 18th Street. Strong works for Kaiser and Emily is a local body artist. The couple met in Santa Rosa, lost their home after the fires and relocated to Bakersfield where Strong was raised. If you haven't visited Metro Special Events, try to do so. It is Don Martin's latest creation after he vacated the old Metro Galleries on 19th and Eye streets.

 * ... MARATHON: Are you ready for the Bakersfield Marathon? The fourth annual run will be held November 17, once again starting in the southwest at CSUB and winding its way through town and up to Bakersfield College before heading back. Officials expect to set yet another record turnout. The Bakersfield event serves as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

 * ... MEMORIES: Some more wonderful old pictures from our past thanks to the Facebook pages Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans.