City attorney Ginny Gennaro among the applicants to replace city manager Alan Tandy, Tracy Leach works overtime to combat misleading information on the oil industry and a UC Berkeley instructor thinks rural Americans are cursed

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. 

 * ... ALAN TANDY: Is City Manager Alan Tandy standing in the way of a faster, cheaper way to build a low barrier homeless shelter? That's what City Councilman Willie Rivera thinks, and he articulated it during an appearance on The Richard Beene Show this week. Rivera claimed that Tandy

is hellbent on the city building its own shelter with Measure N money, and has ignored overtures by the county to work together to attack the problem. Both Supervisor David Couch and county CAO Ryan Alsop have offered to work with the city, and Rivera himself asked city staff to look into a city/county venture. What happened? According to Rivera, it fell on deaf ears as Tandy pushed ahead to build a separate city shelter. Rivera, if you recall, opposed a city staff recommendation to buy property on East Brundage, a move that likely irritated Tandy to no end. Meanwhile, the city continues its quest to find a suitable site, but Rivera made it clear he is waiting for Tandy to retire Jan. 10, 2020, to get a fresh start on this nagging problem.

 * ... REPLACING TANDY: Meanwhile the city has more than 20 applicants to replace Tandy, and at least one of them in an inside candidate. I am told that city attorney Ginny Gennaro has thrown her hat into the ring to replace Tandy. No word on if our two assistant city managers, Chris Huot and Jacqui Kitchen, have also applied. Gennaro is well respected and well liked on the city council. (file photos if Gennaro, Kitchen and Hot)

 * ... FULL MOON: Are you ready for the last full moon of the decade? Well that is happening this week so get ready to cast your eyes toward the sky to catch it. Known as the "cold moon," this one will appear larger and brighter than usual, according to NASA. "Cold Moon" is a name the Algonquin tribes gave December's full moon as a way to mark the long, cold nights that accompany it. Other nicknames for this month's moon include Oak Moon, Moon before Yule, Long Night Moon, Uduvapa Poya, the Karthikai Deepam Moon and the Chang'e Moon.

 * ... ARE WE 'BAD PEOPLE?':  If you come from a farming family or one involved with oil, do you consider yourself a "bad person?" Well, apparently Jackson Kernion does and she should know because - well, you know - he teaches philosophy courses at UC Berkeley and he is prone to deep thinking. "I unironically embrace the bashing of rural Americans," Kernion wrote in a now deleted tweet. "They, as a group, are bad people who have made bad life decisions ... and we should shame people who aren't pro-city." Okay, let that sink in for a minute. This is a teacher at an elite university who apparently has no shame. Kernion also said rural citizens should pay more in taxes and be forced to live "uncomfortable" lives for rejecting "efficient" city life. Kernion later deleted the tweet and said he would "reflect" on it. And there you have it.

 * ... SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: If you work in the oil and gas industry, it is hard enough dealing with distortions and half truths when it comes to the fossil fuel industry. And that is what happened when former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger went on 'Meet the Press' last week and proclaimed - inaccurately - that Kern County produces more jobs in the solar industry than the oil and gas. Among those who were livid was Tracy Leach, head of Providence Consulting, who represents fossil fuel interests. Said Providence: "In the Meet the Press interview, Schwarzenegger stated as fact that the solar industry provides more jobs for our area than oil. The truth is our oil and gas industry provides 23,900 direct and indirect jobs whereas solar has only 1500 permanent jobs created since 2007! Clearly there is no comparison and how the former California governor got this so wrong is very unfortunate."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Tonight I'll be drinking wine from the skull of the guy that wouldn't stop asking questions during the webinar."

* ... BAD FORM: Just when you things could not get worse, you learn that people who received gifts from non-profits are returning them to retailers for cash. That's right, just check out this post I spotted on Facebook: "I just witnessed the most sickening thing... a woman returning multiple 'gifts,' clothes, bikes, skateboards, dolls... all given by Angel Tree. Walmart didn't give her cash, but they gave her a gift card to be used for ANYTHING Walmart sells! After almost crying (seriously), I asked the Walmart associate how often they saw this, the answer was ALL DAY the day after Christmas... IF you do give to ANY of the multiple organizations that give to the needy children, please take time to mark through the bar code with a black Sharpie (Walmart says they look for this)...(I copied and pasted this from a friend. Sickening!) Mark through those barcodes.":

* ... MEMORIES: A walk down memory lane in pictures, looking first at the old Kress building and later an old theater back in the day.

Bishop Joseph Brennan says he will cooperate with the Attorney General's review of church policies to protect children, Mark Salvaggio joins The Richard Beene Show and cheers to DA Cynthia Zimmer for slapping charges on a woman who spit on a police officer's food order at McDonald's

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. 

 * ... BISHOP BRENNAN: Bishop Joseph Brennan, the man who will ultimately decide the fate of Monsignor Craig Harrison, says he is "fully cooperating" with the Attorney General in reviewing  the Diocese of Fresno's practices to protect children from abuse. Brennan said the Diocese has provided a "high volume of material" about the diocese's polities and procedures and that it welcomes the review by the Attorney General's Office. All this comes as various states, including California, crack down

on the Catholic Church and its long record of covering up abuse allegation over the years. For his part, Brennan's appointment to Fresno was viewed as an attempt by the church to clean up its past questionable practices in a bid to start anew after a long dark period for the church. Brennan has already complied with a Kern County Superior Court ruling demanding that the diocese hand over the personnel files of Monsignor Craig Harrison of Bakersfield, who has been accused by multiple men of sexual abuse over several decades. That order was part of a defamation lawsuit Harrison filed against a critic, whose own lawyers have threatened to make a "very public" trial out of the accusations against Harrison while he served in Bakersfield, Merced County and Firebaugh. The diocese says it welcomes the review by the Attorney General’s Office which, it says, can help advance efforts for more transparency and to “…tirelessly pursue and develop all reasonable measure to protect the vulnerable in our midst.”
 WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Brennan will ultimately make the final call on Harrison, who is going into his first Christmas not presiding over services at St. Francis Church. Observers don't expect Brennan to rule until the Firebaugh police department wraps up its investigation into charges of sexual abuses against Harrison.
 BRENNAN'S OPTION: Brennan has several options. The best case for Harrison is for Brennan to reinstate him to the pulpit, which seems unlikely at this point. He could also transfer him to anther parish or throw him out of the church. Or, perhaps to least appealing of all the options for whatever side you are on, Brennan could simply let this drag on for years as Harrison tries to rebuild his life as a civilian.
 HARRISON'S FUTURE: What would Harrison's future look like out of the church? Harrison's legal team has launched an aggressive campaign to clear his name, slapping lawsuits on those who criticize him so that, if he does not go back to the church, he will have a future in Bakersfield. But it will be a future without the trappings that go along with being a monsignor, and he will never experience the "rock star" priest life he once enjoyed.
 BRENNAN: In September, Brennan admitted that some who wore the robes of the church, and enjoyed the power, had sinned. "It is sad at how some within our church community and certainly some who have worn the collar have hurt others,” he said.

 * ... JUSTICE: Here is a big tip of the hat to District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, who did the right thing by deciding to lodge a felony charge against a young woman who hates cops so much she spit in an officer's order while working at McDonald's. That's right, the DA's office says Tatyana Hargrove was working at McDonald's when she tampered with the food order of a Bakersfield police officer by rubbing two hamburger buns on the dirty floor and then spitting on the meat patty. Hargrove, if you remember, was involved in an altercation with BPD officers whom she later sued for alleged mistreating her. She lost the lawsuit and now, months after the suit, she has been charged. Apparently the manager of the McDonald's on Stockdale Highway saw her tampering with food while reviewing a videotape and turned Hargrove into authorities. Cheers to Zimmer for signaling to all the bad players out there that this will not be tolerated.

 * ... SALVAGGIO: Mark Salvaggio, a former Bakersfield city councilman and aide to Superior David Couch, is joining The Richard Beene Show as a regular contributor to talk local politics. Salvaggio is a keen political observer and analyst, and he will appear every Tuesday to add his commentary to the show, which airs daily from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM/1180 AM.

* ... GOOD FORM: Add Eagle Mountain Casino to the list of businesses that deserve a shoutout after the casino donated $100,000 to Honor Flight Kern County. The check was presented during Honor Flight's monthly breakfast event held Thursday at the downtown Bakersfield Elks Lodge.

 * ... BIRTHDAY: Happy birthday to Judy Wages McCarthy, wife of Rep. Kevin McCarthy. The McCarthy's have been married for 27 years.

* ... MEMORIES: Courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page is this picture of this giant vine in Maricopa. The cutline read: "The world’s largest grapevine. Vine planted in 1892 near Maricopa in Kern County. Mr. Lester McDonald crouches beside the giant plant whose trunk measures nine feet in circumference, and in 1966 it was still growing. I haven’t a clue now if it’s still around."

More local restaurants close around town, theft at retail stores skyrocket, attorneys are warning of a "very public" trial exposing alleging sexual abuse by Father Craig Harrison and looking at the rock at Morro Bay ia a time capsule

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. 

 * ... SHOW TRIAL: Is Bakersfield ready for a "very public" trial detailing the allegations of sexual abuse against Father Craig Harrison? That is what San Diego attorney Paul Jonna said may be

coming as he defends his client against a defamation lawsuit filed by Harrison and his attorneys. Harrison claims that Stephen Brady, head of a group called Roman Catholic Faithful, defamed him during a press conference Brady held to talk about the allegations against Father Craig. The ultimate defense of a defamation charge, Jonna said, is the truth. And getting to the truth during a trial would involve a "very public" examination of the charges from multiple men that Harrison subjected them all to sexual abuse and inappropriate touching, including testimony from the accusers themselves. Is Bakersfield ready for this? Our community has been ripped apart already, and a show trial would only serve to drive a larger wedge between those who blindly support Harrison against those who want to see all the facts before they make up their minds. Would a "very public" trial and all the accompanying allegations of sexual abuse help Father Craig reestablish himself in the community? Is this what his defense lawyers envisioned when they sued Brady? Time will tell. Meanwhile, the ultimate decision on Harrison's fate will be made by Bishop Joseph Brennan of the Diocese of Fresno, and we await that call.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m not shy, I’m just really good at figuring out who’s worth talking to."

 * ... CLOSINGS: More local restaurants have shut their doors, joining a growing list of local eateries that just couldn't make it in today's competitive environment. First, the Corner Bakery on California and Easton Drive shut down at the first of the month (no word on what will go in its place). I also learned that Steak and Grape over on Coffee has apparently closed for good. The popular steak place closed August 1 but indicated they were remodeling, and now word is it has closed. They join Cafe Med and Joseph's Italian restaurant on the list of eateries that apparently have served their last meal.

 * ... GETTYSBURG: A Kern County man is headed to Gettysburg to become superintendent of Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site in Pennsylvania.
Steven Sims, a 1992 graduate of Tehachapi High School and later West Point, will be responsible for managing both of the national park sites. Sims, who was born and raised in Tehachapi, said he is excited about his new appointment. "It was an honor, and quite humbling," said Sims, a longtime National Park Service employee. "Gettysburg is a very important place in our nation's history."

 * ... WILDLIFE: Enjoy this shot of a group of coyotes out near Taft, captured by Pam Taylor. It is a healthy looking posse.

 * ... ANARCHY: Near anarchy reigns on our streets, as people feel free to pop into a local store and steal what they want without consequences,.Check out this post from the Bakersfield Thieves Facebook page: "This POS walked in and walked the store picked what he wanted and walked out with 2 scooters and whatever else the 2 cows that were with him. Sad part they doing it with children. Guess they raising the next generation of thieves. Guard tried to get our stuff back but dude was threatening. BPD won't help as long as something physical don't happen in store. Ummmm. Laws need to change. Retailers beware. Remember that ugly face and the cows he with."

 * ... MEMORIES: Just look at this old picture of the rock at Morro Bay from the 1890s.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally from the Kern County of Old Facebook page, a look at the old Monte Carlo bar on Taft Highway, known as the place that served the coldest beer in Kern County back in the day.

The exodus of people and businesses from California continues, street racing becomes a public nuisance and some historic photos of the crash that claimed the life of actor James Dean

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. 

 * ... GOODBYE, CALIFORNIA: The exodus from California by people and business continues wth no end in sight, sign of growing discontent over a spendthrift government fond of higher taxes and heavier regulations. According to the Dallas Business Journal, some 660 companies moved 765

facilities out of California in the past two years, and yes the Dallas-Fort Worth has been the beneficiary of many of the relocations.  "The departures from the Golden State between January 2018 and now involve corporate headquarters, manufacturing facilities, data centers, research hubs, software and engineering centers and a few warehouses, according to business relocation expert Joe Vranich, president of Spectrum Location Services." California companies large, midsize and small are shifting their regional or corporate headquarters to North Texas because of the DFW area’s generally lower taxes, more affordable housing, lower expenses, central location, access to an international airport and other factors.

 * ... STREET RACING: How bad is street racing in our town? Pretty bad, and even more widespread than I ever imagined if you read Bob Price's "Sound Off" column in The Californian this weekend. The latest tragic incident happened on Ming Avenue near Old River road, taking the life of a 58-year-old woman and injuring two children, when street racers plowed into her vehicle. Ming Avenue has long been plagued by street racing, but readers indicated it was going on across town. Other favorite sites for racing: the stretch between Stine Road and Ashe Road on Ming; the Westside Parkway; Oswell Street and Panama Lane.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Your relationship can overcome any obstacles as long as you have separate bathrooms."

 * ... RIP PHIL WYMAN: Former conservative assemblyman Phil Wyman has died at the age of 74. Wyman was a beloved arch conservative, supporting legislation to require patent notification of teenage abortions, all the while backing the claims of some religious conservatives that satanic messages could be heard by playing rock music backward. He was beloved by many but that sentiment that has largely been overtaken by demographics that are making Kern County more Democratic and politically progressive. Wyman was a rancher and a camp operator.

 * ... NEW PUBLISHER: Cliff Chandler has been named publisher of The Bakersfield Californian after serving as its general manager for six months. Chandler is the first publisher since the Fritts-Moorhouse family sold the newspaper to Sound News Media last July.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out these old photos of the day James Dean crashed on Highway 46.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally, feast on this wonderful old photo I spotted on Facebook with this caption: "Eagle Creek Gusher No. 1, Fellows, California. Image taken 1909-1910. Well strikes like this one were exciting and dangerous moments for the workers. The roar of the oil shooting out of the ground was deafening and the potential for fire was great. Shown here is the gusher in full force. To give you the size of the derrick, I placed a red dot under a man walking next to it."

The county moves forward with its homeless shelter despite concerns from the High Speed Rail Authority, Tiler Peck shows up in the Ray Donovan series and ABC23's Tim Calahan calls it quits

* ... THREE CHEERS: You just have to love the county's response to the California High-Speed Rail Authority who signaled it has a problem with the county's location for a new low barrier homeless shelter. The Authority warned it may need the land over off Golden State Highway where the shelter is being built. The county's response: we are going forward. Said county communications director Megan Person: “The talk about the high speed rail has been going on for 20 years. So the

county is just saying we are not going to be holding our breath anymore. We have a crisis that we need to address. We understand we’re in the pathway. We’re moving forward... ” This is exactly the kind of response we need, and I for one applaud it. The idea that this state boondoggle called high speed rail could de-rail (pardon the pun) an important project is absurd.

 * ... WAS THAT TILER PECK?: It's not every day when you are watching one of your favorite cable shows and you spot a Bakersfield girl in the cast. But there she was, our own Tiler Peck, a member of the New York City Ballet, appearing on a Showtime episode of Ray Donovan. Peck appeared in the season debut of Ray Donovan's new season called “Faith. Hope. Love. Luck" as the friend (girlfriend?) in a character pursued and beaten by Ray Donovan. Peck is not only a star with the ballet, but she regularly dabbles in TV and movies.

 * ... TIM CALAHAN: Adios to Tim Calahan, ABC23's evening anchor who brought wit, dignity and insight into our homes nightly. Calahan won't say what his next move is, but he appears to be staying in town and looking for a new chapter that does not involve the demanding hours of being a TV anchor. Calahan previously worked for KGET and the Mission of Kern County before joining KERO TV.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: From Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak: "In order to save our planet, I’m asking everyone in America who’s 73-years-old or older to join me in pledging not to have any more children. #SignThePledge."

 * ... BAD FORM: I spotted this post on Facebook regarding some alleged thieves at The Marketplace. It read: "So today at Vons at the Marketplace, I saw management kicking three known shoplifters out. I decided to take a few pictures of their plate as they left. The fat one in the pictures below rolled down the rear window and struck me in the face and chest with an unopened bottle of Gatorade as they fled. Unfortunately, BPD doesn't have the ability to run the numbers on the temp plates the DMV uses now like they can a regular plate. They did take a report for assault with a deadly weapon. If you know where these pieces of trash live, please let me know.
Vons management stated these three have stolen around $12k in liquor from them this year and are known to hit multiple stores in a day."

 * ... FIRE MUSEUM: Have you heard about the proposed new fire museum downtown? It will be located directly behind the Fox Theater and across from the downtown fire station on G Street. Check out the artist rendering.

 * ... BRATCHER: A new home design business has opened on 18th Street next to Sequoia Sandwich Co. downtown. Bratcher design studio was founded by creative director Brooke Bratcher, who has worked in residential interior design for more than eight years. The store is open from 10 am. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, the studio offers "grab and go" items and exclusive furniture lines, as well as a space for planning customized interiors.

* .. MEMORIES: Yet another trip down memory lane looking at 19th Street back in the day.

A breakthrough in solar technology could spell trouble for fossil fuels, Cafe Med closes abruptly and Mexican drug cartels are now focusing on the latest cash crop: avocados

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. 


 * ... SOLAR BREAKTHROUGH? A story that didn't get much play this week involved a potentially game changing technology in the fight against global warming. Backed by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the technology uses concentrated solar energy to exceed temperatures greater than

1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit). Said one story: "For perspective, that kind of heat is about one-quarter of the temperatures found on the surface of the sun. At that temperature, the energy company—Heliogen—can replace the use of fossil fuels in critical industrial processes, including the production of cement, steel, and petrochemicals, dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from these activities. This singular scientific achievement was accomplished at Heliogen’s commercial facility in Lancaster, California." Keep an eye on this techonology.

 * ... AVOCADO CARTEL? Are you ready for this? Apparently avocados have become so valuable that Mexican drug cartels are now adding the popular fruit to the list of other products - marijuana, cocaine and other drugs - that they want to control. According to a piece in The Los Angeles Times, Mexican cartels have beens seizing hundreds of thousands of acres of land to plant avocados in Michoacan state, already a region notorious for cartel activity. Said The Times: "Mexico's multi billion dollar avocado industry, headquartered in Michoacan state, has become a prime target for cartels, which have been seizing farms and cleaning protected woodlands to plant their own groves of what locals call 'green gold.'" (LA Times photo)

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER :Saw a rival dad unloading a turkey fryer so I brought him a fire extinguisher.

 * ... ADIOS CAFE MED: Cafe Med, the iconic Mediterranean eatery on Stockdale Highway, is closing after three decades in business. Owner Meir Brown said business had grown soft in recent years and factors out of his control - increases in the minimum wage, skyrocketing utility costs to name two - had made going forward untenable. The closing triggered a tsunami of criticism on social media over customers who held Cafe Med gift cards, some purchased recently, that are now virtually worthless. Brown first announced he was closing this Wednesday but the doors were shut for good on Friday, leaving fans torn between sadness and anger over being stifled with gift certificates. The closing of Cafe Med is just the latest in a long string of local businesses to shut their doors. Others include Joseph's Italian Restaurant, Red Door Interiors and Beverly's Craft store.

 * ... GOOD FORM: Hats off to Gary and Deborah Leary, who celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary this weekend. If you have attended a fund raiser where steaks are involved, chances are you spotted Gary and his son Anthony tending to the grill, while Deborah worked the room making sure the trains ran on time. Whether it is CSUB or the St. Francis du Paul homeless shelter, the Learys are among those who have contributed to its success.

 * ... MEMORIES: Here are a few pictures worthy of a walk down memory lane, thanks to the Facebook pages Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans.