Ward 1 attracts another potential candidate, a local protester dies and police speculate there is a police coverup, and Michael Burroughs examines the concept of 'white privilege'

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other person or organization.

 * ... WARD ONE: There's a lot of posturing and positioning for the soon-to-open Ward 1 council seat being vacated by the retiring Willie Rivera. Arlena Fink Waller, a developer with deep roots in the ward, is the latest to express an interest in the seat. She joined Michael Bowers, a vice president of marketing with Centric Health, to flirt with the idea of running. Both Waller and Bowers are African-American, but Ward 1 is increasingly becoming an Hispanic dominated ward and it remains to be seen who might else enter the race. Waller threw out the possibility of a run on her Facebook page and

even included a call for a show of hands of who might write checks to support her candidacy. Bowers has already picked up a lot of support, thanks to his background in politics, first as an aide to Congressman David Valadao and then to former state Sen. Andy Vidak. The City Council must first decide whether to appoint an interim council person or wait until November or hold a special election.

 * ... PROTESTER DIES: The protester who was hit and killed by a car last week has been identified as 55-year-old Robert Forbes. It was late at night, around 10:30 p.m., when police said a car came upon protesters marching in the street near the intersection of Oak and California, hitting Forbes who later died. The incident has blown up on social media, with some saying the driver deliberately hit Forbes with his lights off, and others describing him as a white supremacist. Police dispute that, saying his lights were on and that the driver did hot appear to be speeding Nonetheless, some want to make this a racial issue, saying the driver (who is white) may get off hitting and killing a black man because of his privilege and race. The driver has yet to be identified.

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

* ... WHITE PRIVILEGE: Michael Burroughs, head of the Kegley Institute of Ethics at CSUB, penned an opinion piece for The Californian Sunday addressing the concept of white privilege. It's a worthwhile read on a subject that needs to be mastered. Said Burroughs: "I am a white man, and, thus, in this society, I am a privileged man. On a daily basis I take for granted privileges of personal safety, of respect, of not needing to justify the value of my life to others. There are very few, if any, harmful stereotypes that lead to my being pre-judged in social interactions or encounters with authority figures. I have never been in fear for my life due to the color of my skin and others’ reactions based on my race. I have the privilege to ignore my skin color, to forget my race. If I choose, I can remain unaware of racism as a pressing problem because it does not come for me each day; it does not seek me out, daily, in my life, work and relationships."

 * ... 7 TEACUPS: I had not heard of the "7 teacups" on the Kern River until I spotted this remarkable picture on Facebook. Apparently this is actually Dry Meadow creek where it empties into the Kern River a few miles from the Johnsondale bridge.

 * ... MEMORIES: My thanks to fellow history buff John Kelley for posting these old pictures of the 76 station on the Grapevine as well as a coffee shop. Enjoy.

We open the airways to talk about race in America, Jacquie Sullivan decides not to seek another term on the City Council, and Uricchio's Trattoria and Pyrenees Cafe get ready to reopen for table service

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other person or organization.

 * ... RACE AND KERN COUNTY:  Michael Bowers remembers being questioned by police as a young man. Keith Wolaridge is seized by utter fear when he spots he is being followed by a police

car. Leticia Perez looks at birth rates, demographics and civic engagement and reminds us that Kern County's future will look far different than its past. And Sheriff Donny Youngblood pulls no punches in condemning the officers involved in the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. These are just a smattering of the comments made over two days when I hosted these four people for a conversation on race on The Richard Beene Show (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM). Check out these links to my conversations with Bowers and Wolaridge, and with Perez and Youngblood.

 * ... JACQUIE SULLIVAN: Jacquie Sullivan will not be seeking reelection, ending a long 25 career on the Bakersfield City Council. She becomes the second council person to say they won't seek a new term, joining Ward 1's Willie Rivera who made a similar announcement last week. It's been a while since two open seats appeared on the ballot, and it could dramatically alter the coalitions on the council. Meanwhile, fellow Councilman Bruce Freeman said he would seek another term.

 * ... STEVE TEGLIA: Breaking news here from Lois Henry, chief executive officer of SJVWATER.ORG, a non profit devoting to covering California Water issues: Steve Teglia, a long time Assistant City Manager of the City of Bakersfield, has formally taken over the reins of the Kern Delta Water District. He was appointed to the position to replace retiring Mark Mulkay on May 16 and officially took over on Monday, June 1. “This is a great move for Kern Delta and we expect Mr. Teglia to lead this district into the future,” Mulkay wrote in an email Tuesday. “I hope that the water community will accept Mr. Teglia and treat him with the patience and professionalism in which I have been for the past 27 years.” Mulkay will continue working for Kern Delta as its Water Resources Manager, according to the email.

 * ... PYRENEES: The iconic Pyrenees Cafe in old town Kern will be reopening this weekend, and you can bet its legions of fans will make it a "standing room only" event. Pyrenees owners Rod and Julie Crawford said they spent the past month doing improvements and making sure the restaurant meets health and safety guidelines.

 * ... URICCHIO'S TRATTORIA: Meanwhile, Uricchio's Trattoria will return to in-house dining next Tuesday, according to owner Claire Porter. Claire told me the dining room will hold a "soft opening" this weekend  to see how it goes in dining rooms with fewer tables and no seats at the bar. The new hours will have Uricchio's closed Sunday and Monday.

 * ... PROTESTS IN PICTURES: With my compliments to all the folks around town who captured these images, a sampling of the protests around town this past weekend.

 * ... MEMORIES: Pictures of wrecks on the old Grapevine connecting Bakersfield with Los Angeles in the years before Interstate 5 was built.

Protesters hit the Bakersfield streets both nights this weekend under a heavy police presence, Cheryl Scott to head the Bakersfield College Foundation and homecoming for two young Bakersfield lads

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other person or organization.

 * ... PROTESTS: Where were you during the weekend protests downtown against the death of George Floyd? I watched some of the coverage online and to my surprise I

received a text message around 10 p.m. Friday from my work colleague J.R. Flores saying he was with the demonstrators and they were marching into Westchester, where I live. Never one to miss the drama, I hurried down to 21st Street to catch a couple hundred people both in cars and on foot, honking horns, holding signs and chanting as Bakersfield police kept a respectful distance. Somewhere along the way, someone busted out a window at Bonnie's Best sandwich shop in 21st Street, but otherwise the protest seemed peaceful. (photos by JR Flores)

 * ... ANGELO FRAZIER: One of the witnesses to both nights of protests was Pastor Angelo Frazier of Riverlakes Community Church. Frazier used his time to walk between the police and the protesters urging calm, and noted he was disheartened by the defacing of the police memorial in front of the police station. Frazier will appear on The Richard Beene Show on (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM) Monday at 2:30 p.m. to talk about the protests. (photos courtesy of Angelo Frazier)

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If you are looting in Minneapolis please grab me an air fryer."

 * ... HOMECOMING: I ran into a couple of young friends on a bike ride this weekend on the road to Woody. Local boy Tyler Williams, a cycling phenom who has raced professionally across the world, was in town on personal business and hit the road for a quick 50-mile ride with Zach Griffin and a few others. Williams is married to another local product, Brea Williams, and they are expecting their first child in October. The couple live in Santa Rosa where Tyler trains with California-based cycling team and Bree is a nurse at the Santa Rosa Hospital. Also on the ride was Zane Adamo, a Bakersfield High graduate who is the son of Felix and Teresa Adamo. Felix is a world class photographer who is retired from The Bakersfield Californian and Teresa is also a journalist who is now writing children's books. Zane told me he was "walking in my father's footsteps" and is devoting his life to professional photography. (File pictures below of the Williams and Adamo)

 * ... CHERYL SCOTT: Congratulations to Cheryl Scott who has been appointed executive director of the Bakersfield College Foundation. Scott will direct all fundraising and community outreach and will report directly to college President Sonya Christian. Since 2005 Scott has been vice president of the Kern Economic Development Corp.

 * ... CLEROU: I spotted these photos on the Historic Union Cemetery Facebook page. A caption read: "Colonel Joe Clerou served his country with honor. The youngest of eight children of Louis and Lucie Clerou. After graduating from the University of San Francisco, Joe enlisted into the Marine Corps in 1941. During World War II he was involved in battles of Guadalcanal , Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. After World War II he was called back for the Korean War. After proudly serving his country Colonel Joe Clerou married his love Shirley Clerou and had six children and went into the tire business, working at Clerou Tire. Thank you for your service Colonel Joe Clerou 1919 - 2003

Is Centric Health's Michael Bowers lining up to replace Willie Rivera in Ward !? Dr. Ravi Patel will receive the John Brock Award and Dr. Jeanine Kraybill is promoted to become an associate professor

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this community such a special place. The views expressed here are strictly my own and do not represent any other person or organization.

 * ... WILLIE RIVERA: Ward 1 City Councilman is leaving his position to take a new job with Area Energy, and he is urging an open, transparent discussion about the benefits of going to a full-time council position. The idea of getting rid of the city manager and going with a full time council is not new, but so far it has failed to muster enough support on the council to demand a full hearing.

Rivera said serving on the Bakersfield council is a "bigger job" now that the city is the ninth largest in California. Rivera wants a special election to succeed him in November, but that too will take a vote by the council. Otherwise, the council will make an interim appointment until and election can be held.

 * ... BOWERS FOR COUNCIL: The most prominent person named as a replacement for Rivera is Michael Bowers, the marketing vice president for Centric Health who has important political experience working for both former state Sen. Andy Vidak and Congressman David Valadao. Bowers told me he grew up in Ward 1, is open to serving or running but would need the permission of his boss, Dr. Brij Bhambi, one of the founders of Centric Health. Bhambi, appearing on my radio show, said he was not personally political and preferred to leave questions of political activity to the others. Does that sound like Bowers has permission to serve? It does to me.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: A stylist posted this and aint it the truth? "That earthquake you felt was every hairdresser putting their head in their hands as they try to fit 500 clients into 2 hours, under a ton of regulations and rules."

 * ... NEW PROFESSORS: A big congratulations to Dr. Jeanine Kraybill who has been elevated to the position of Associate Professor at CSUB. Kraybill specializes in both political science and religious studies and - personal plug here - has been a weekly guest on The Richard Beene Show since January 2017. This is a big win for CSUB, our community and of course Kraybill and her husband Jesse, who now call Bakersfield home. And, the same was true for Michael Burroughs, another CSUB faculty member who was elevated to a tenured Associate Professor position. Burroughs heads the Kegley Institute of Ethics over at the campus.

 * ... RAVI PATEL: Dr. Ravi Patel, founder of the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center (CBCC), has been chosen to receive the John Brock Community Service Award. The award is given out every year to a community leader "who has demonstrated a lifetime of exceptional service" in Kern County. Patel moved to Bakersfield in 1985 and later helped guide the growth of CBCC into a 75,000-square-foot campus employing more than 250 people. The award will be given out in September.

 * ... PYRENNES: Check out these then and now pictures of Pyrenees Bakery, formerly located on East 21st Street.

 * ... MEMORIES: I spotted this picture on a local website devoted to Kern County history, a beauty from back in the day. Its caption reads: "Busy day on the Grapevine, circa 1940. Likely taken during wildflower season. Newspapers and radio programs such as the Richfield Reporter would report on the bloom, resulting in huge increases in traffic. Some rare cars pictured: A 1933-34 Willys sedan to the right, with the three people standing in front of it; and merging from the left foreground into traffic a 1939 Willys Californian, a flashy trim option only made at the Maywood, California Willys plant."