Research shows as many has half of adult Americans may eschew a vaccine for the coronavirus, new research shows children may be more at risk than we think and Traco Matthews lands a new gig at CAPK

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 company or publication.

* ... COVID VACCINE: Here's a quick quiz for you: what percentage of the U.S. population would be reluctant to take a vaccine for Covid-19? Well if you listen to the experts, it could be as high as half the population. That's right, Dr. Brij Bhambi of Centric Health is among those who believe there are a lot of "anti vaccine" people out there, cities surveys that report that 20-25 percent of the

population is fully anti-vaccine, and another 30 percent is not sure if they would take the vaccine. Those numbers, he said, would make attaining "herd immunity" difficult given so many people who opt out of the vaccinations. In addition, Bhambi said it is not yet known just how long a vaccinations may last. If it lasts for six months, then we would all need a booster shot to retain immunity.

 * ... KIDS AND COVID: The earlier wisdom was that children were largely out of danger with the Covid-19 virus, but now we are learning otherwise. Valley Children’s Hospital is now warning that 69 kids have been hospitalized and the infection rate for children is around 8 percent. CEO Todd Suntrapak said many people assume children don’t have as much to fear about COVID-19. “When we see a dialogue, a narrative that is focused on how small the risk is numerically to children, it is particularly objectionable and we feel a miscarriage,” he said.

 * ... TRACO MATTHEWS: Congratulations to Traco Matthews, who announced this weekend he was leaving his position as Human Resources managers for the Kern Superintendent of Schools and is headed too CAPK as its chief program officer. Said Matthews: "This new position will allow me to work in a role that fully aligns with my life purpose and to contribute to the growth and success of our community at a higher level... God’s plans are always best, and I know He’s called me to this next chapter. I’m excited for the opportunity and looking forward to continuing to serve and lead in this wonderful community."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Seriously would like to read a piece that described what it would look like if we put more priority on teachers returning to work safely than professional athletes."

* ... MYSTERY WOMAN: You just have to love this 1940s-era photo of a woman working the fields near Edison, according to the Kern County of Old Facebook page. Lois Henry wrote this: "Does she bear a resemblance to anyone's grandma or great grandma? This is near Edison in 1940 according to the info on Kern County of Old. Is that a derrick in the background? I love her feisty, 'Whaddaya lookin' at' attitude in this photo! She's a true beauty! If anyone has ideas of who she is, be sure and post on Kern County of Old!"

Leave it to the state of California to define what constitutes a "meal," is public education on the verge of a major overhaul in how it provides education, and Dylan Ryan makes the pages of an equestrian magazine

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 company or publication.

 * ... FISH 'N CHIPS: The next time you belly up to your local bar, you better be ready to order dinner if you expect to be served that cold brew. That's the word from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office which has issued guidelines saying that drinks can only be served if they are accompanied by a full

dinner. And what is a full dinner? Well, according to the state, here are some items that fall short of being considered dinner: pretzels, nuts, popcorn, chips, appetizers (cheese sticks, fried calamari, chicken wings, egg rolls and cups of soup) and side dishes such as French fries, onion rings and small salads. Here, in all its wisdom, is the state's take on what constitutes a full meal: "... although multiple courses are not required to constitute a meal, in order for the patron to be served a meal there should be a sufficient quantity that would constitute the main course in a multiple-course dinner." Can you say nanny state?

* ... FUTURE OF EDUCATION: Is this pandemic triggering a potential rethinking of the way we look at public education? That's what Russell Johnson thinks as school systems grapple with the best way to provide quality education to children in the midst of Covid-19. Johnson, a former Bakersfield city councilman and planning commissioner who now runs Common Sense Consulting, predicted school systems may eventually evolve to a true hybrid system where students can decide what they want: online distance learning or in class learning, or a combination of the two. The technology is here and this would also appease parents who are fearful of violence or bullying at school or simply feel a more home schooling environment is best for their children. (file photo of Russell Johnson)

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

 * ... DYLAN RYAN: Congratulations to Bakersfield's own Dylan Ryan, an Occidental College senior who has been featured in Sidelines magazine, a publication devoted to horse enthusiasts and equestrian competition. The daughter of Action Sports owner Kerry Ryan, Dylan has ridden competitively since she was a child and now is a regular on the show circuit along with her thoroughbred, Bart. She is one of the few mixed race riders on the circuit, and credits her strong family and good genes (the Ryan family is full of fierce competitors in various sports) with her success. What was her motivation to keep riding? It was simple, she says. Dad Kerry Ryan told her she had to earn straight A's to compete, and that is exactly what she did.

 * ... SLO PROTEST: Did you hear about the Black Lives Matter protest in San Luis Obispo this week? The police allowed it after being assured by the organizer it would be peaceful, but that didn't turn out to be the case. The crowd marched straight to Highway 101 where they blocked traffic, and along the way smashed out the back window of a car that carried a toddler. The protest organizer was arrested. What would you do if you confronted a crowd like this?

 * ... MEMORIES: Just take a look at this picture of the Fox Theater under construction back in the day. Photo complements of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

The coronavirus comes roaring back and we brace for another disrupted fall, we lose an icon in Herb Walker, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy notes the passing of the great John Lewis

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 company or publication.

 * ... COVID: A few things seem increasingly true as we head into the late summer and fall in the season of Covid: kids won't be returning to classes anytime soon, forget about fall college football,

there will be no live music shows and even the Kern County Fair is in jeopardy of being canceled. In April we had a cautious sense that we had this thing under control, and yet now hospitals across the country have reached capacity. More than two dozen states have halted or rolled back their reopening plans, and some cities have been hit so hard (Los Angeles, for one) that they be facing another total lock down. And to make matters worse: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say at least 40 percent of people who get the virus could show no symptoms, meaning thousands of Americans could be unknowingly still infecting others.

 * ... RIP HERB WALKER: Our community lost a local icon when Herb Walker passed away over the weekend. Walker was the tall, dapper founder of H. Walker's men's clothing, which has been clothing men in Kern County since 1971. His daughter Tracy, who now runs the store, said her father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and he later contracted pneumonia. To make matters worse, toward the end he contracted Covid-19 and in the end it was just too much. Walker and his close friends were known for their love of golf, high spirited jokes and afternoon cocktails, and they would lighten a room by their presence. For years you could find Herb in the store, always looking sharp in his pressed golf shirts and casual leather loafers, the picture of the perfect host, greeting everyone with a warm smile and joyful twinkle that became his personal trademark.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Facebook is a place that reminds you that everyone disappoints you."

 * ... JOHN LEWIS: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy joined the national outcry mourning the death of Georgia congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, telling Twitter that Lewis "was an extraordinary man—a patriot in the truest sense. And he was my friend. One of the greatest honors of my life was to join him for multiple trips to Selma to march across the bridge. His life and legacy as a civil rights icon will endure for as long as America does."

 * ... DROWNING: There has been yet another drowning in the Kern River, this time in the relatively calm waters off Hart Park. Kern County Sheriff's officials say the latest victim was a 14-year-old girl who fell in the Kern River and did not survived. A helicopter located the girl after she was reported missing. She was located in the water but died at a local hospital.

 * ... MEMORIES: I spotted this old picture of a traveling salesman on the Kern County of Old Facebook page with this caption: "This is my grandpa, Ira J Springer. He was a sewing machine salesman in the 20s, 30s and 40s. He would load his car with machines and sell them in the desert as far as Bishop. Notice the Padre Hotel in the background. If you inherited a treadle machine that was bought locally, chances are my grandpa was the dealer."

Defendants in a Father Craig suit file an appeal, Bakersfield makes a list of "fat" cities and a Golden Eagle Hawk makes a spectacular flight back into the wild

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 company or publication.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: There's been a development in legal battle between Monsignor Craig Harrison and a critic and an organization he sued after Harrison was removed from his post because of allegations he may have molested young men and boys over the course of his career. Lawyers for the Roman

Catholic Faithful and Stephen Brady filed an appeal this week asking the Fifth District Court of Appeal to reverse a lower court decision that denied an anti-SLAPP motion because Harrison was not a public figure. Attorney Paul Jonna argued that Harrison's high standing in the community and frequent appearances in the media rendered him a public figure by any standard in Kern County, and that Brady had never defamed Harrison in any of his statements. The 71-page appeal graphically details allegations from six or more men who claimed Harrison subjected them to both emotional and sexual abuse while Harrison served as a priest in Merced, Firebaugh and Bakersfield. Only one of the accusers, a Benedictine monk who went by the name Brother Gilligan, was named in the report. Gilligan - his real name is Ryan Dixon - has also been sued by Harrison. Jonna is asking the court to reconsider throwing out Harrison's lawsuit because he is a public figure and has engaged in a "pattern of rank intimidation against those who speak against him. He's sued a victim, an investigator, and his own diocese - and enlisted his brother to engage in a campaign of harassment." (file photo of Stephen Brady and Harrison)

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Everything that makes me happy either gives me cancer or makes me fat."

 * ... WORST CITY: Did you catch the story going around the internet showing the "worst city" in every state? Well you guessed it, Bakersfield is listed as the "worst" city in California. A puzzling list for sure and few would argue there are plenty of "worst" cities even in Kern County much less the state.

 * ... AND WE ARE FAT, TOO: Maybe one of the reasons we rank so low on the list of desirable cities is because we are collectively grossly overweight. That's the word from The American College of Sports Medicine and the Anthem Foundation that says Bakersfield came in a dismal 99th out of 100 cities in terms of exercise and eating well. In case you care, Arlington, Va. ranked best among the cities examined and dead last, right behind us, was Oklahoma City, Okla.

* ... GOLDEN EAGLE: There was a magnificent small ceremony out at Wind Wolves Preserve this week when a Golden Eagle hawk was released back into the wild after recovering from an injury. The bird was released in a part of the 93.000-acre preserve that is off limits to visitors, but these pictures are stunning.

 * ... MEMORIES: This week we feature a couple of old hotels from back in the day. This one is of the old F.M. Noriega Hotel, built in 1893 located at 525 Sumner Street. The original name was the Ibaria Hotel.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And then there is this old photo of the El Tejon Hotel, compliments of the Kern County History Fans' Facesbook page.

Teachers push back against plans to reopen schools, another blow to newspapers and McClatchy gets ready to sell to bottom feeders, and remembering the actor Dack Rambo of Earlimart

 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 company or publication.

 * ... WILL SCHOOLS OPEN? The next big fight on the horizon will be over local schools: should they welcome back students to the classroom, or do the health risks to both students and teachers

demand online learning? The battle lines have been drawn, led by President Trump's insistence that classes resume, while teachers and their unions push back, arguing convincingly that teachers are not trained medical professionals and the idea could put thousands at risk. Said The New York Times: "Now, educators are using some of the same organizing tactics they employed in walkouts over issues of pay and funding in recent years to demand that schools remain closed, at least in the short term. It's a stance that could potentially be divisive, with some district surveys suggesting that more than half of parents would like their children to return."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I struggle to understand what is so broken in your life that can only be fixed by going to Disney World during a pandemic."

 * ... BAD FORM: At Sprout's on Stockdale Highway over the weekend, a woman is seen in the produce section pulling off her facemask so she can press her nose and mouth up against a Hawaiian papaya. After a long embrace, she decides to leave the papaya for the next unsuspecting shopper.

 * ... MCCLATCHY: Analysts have been sounding the death knoll for newspapers for years now. Advertising has fled to digital forums, readership is old and getting older and circulation is down across the nation. And now, in what may represent a final nail in the proverbial coffin, the once-respected McClatchy Company of Sacramento is about to be purchased by a hedge fund company, signaling its final demise from its once lofty perch. Back in the day, McClatchy papers like the Bee group (Sacramento Bee, Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee) along with the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star and Charlotte Observer were some of the crown jewels in the newspaper world. Today most are near bankruptcy, their staffs trimmed to the bone and once healthy circulations whittled down to near nothing. The Californian, meanwhile, continues along under relatively new ownership but it too has suffered major cutbacks in staff and funding. Stay tuned.

 * ... DACK RAMBO: Did you know that the character who had a role on the original "Dallas" TV show was born in Earlimart? That's right, I spotted this nugget on the Kern County of Old Facebook page saying that Dack Rambo was a Kern County product. The obit: "Dack Rambo (born November 13, 1941-died March 21, 1994) played the recurring role of Jack Ewing on the original Dallas TV series on CBS-TV, appearing in a total of 51 episodes in Seasons 7-10 of the series, beginning with the episode "Terms of Enderment". Dack was most noted for appearing as Walter Brennan's grandson Jeff in the ABC-TV series The Guns of Will Sonnett, as Steve Jacobi in the ABC soap opera All My Children, and as Grant Harrison on the NBC-TV soap opera Another World. Dack is also known for playing Wesley Harper on the 1984 short lived TV series soap opera Paper Dolls.
Born in Earlimart, California, Rambo had a twin brother, Orman Ray Rambeau, who would ultimately go professionally as Dirk Rambo[1] After moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s, the brothers were discovered by actress Loretta Young and cast in her CBS series, The New Loretta Young Show.[2] On 5 February 1967, Dirk was killed in a road accident.[3]
Later that same year, Rambo landed the role of Jeff Sonnett on The Guns of Will Sonnett, and co-starred in the short-lived Gunsmoke spin-off, Dirty Sally, with Jeanette Nolan.
During the 1970s and 1980s, he made guest appearances on Marcus Welby, M.D., House Calls, Wonder Woman, Charlie's Angels, All My Children, Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Hotel, and Murder, She Wrote. He also acted out the lead role in Sword of Justice, which lasted for ten installments in 1978 and 1979. He is best remembered on television for his role as Jack Ewing on Dallas from 1985-87."

 * ... MEMORIES: Don't you love these pictures of Pyrenees Bakery, old and new?

Does cannabis help protect you from contracting the coronavirus? And are just weeks away from running out of hospital beds? Plus Grimmway Farms hands out its scholarships

 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 company or publication.

 * ... COVID AND RENT: Did you know that 31 percent of the people who either rent or own a

home missed their payment in May? That's the word from CSUB economics professor Richard Gearhart who said the longtime economic slowdown is starting to affect our ability to meet basic housing obligations. In June, Gearhart said that number stayed the same - right at 30 percent - and that many of those renters and homeowners are living in fear of being evicted.

 * ... CANNABIS AND COVID: In a world of turmoil and bad news, here is an interesting tidbit that should brighten your day. Cannabis - marijuana, pot, weed, ganga whatever you care to call it - may help prevent or treat the coronavirus infection. Thats according to researchers from the University of Lethbridge who said a study in April showed at least 13 cannabis plants were high in CBD that appeared to affect the ACE2 pathways that the bug uses to access the body. The results, printed in online journal Preprints, indicated hemp extracts high in CBD may help block proteins that provide a “gateway” for COVID-19 to enter host cells.While they stressed that more research was needed, the study gave hope that the cannabis, if proven to modulate the enzyme, “may prove a plausible strategy for decreasing disease susceptibility” as well as “become a useful and safe addition to the treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy.”

 * ... COVID SURGE: it was distressing to read in The Californian and Dignity's Mercy Southwest Hospital had to turn away Covid-19 patients this past weekend because of staffing shortages. Reporter John Cox said so many hospital employees (nurses, doctors and support staff) have been sickened by the virus that they are having trouble keeping the vital positions filled. According to Cox, at the current rate we should run out of hospital beds sometime in the next three weeks.

 * .... SICK BAY: And finally on the Cover-19 front, Michael Bowers is the latest of our citizens to be stricken with the coronavirus. A former aide to state Sen. Andy Vidak and Congressman David Valadao, Bowers is now vice president of marketing with Centric Health. While he recovers at home, keep him and the other Covid victims in your thoughts.

 * ... GRIMMWAY: Grimmway Farms has awarded another 64 college scholarships to students who have a parent or guardian employed by the Bakersfield-based company. The scholarships were given as part of the annual Rod and Bob Grimm Memorial Scholarship Program, Grimmway's founders.
This year's scholarship recipients will attend a range of top-ranked schools, including Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Colgate University, Fresno State, UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara. The scholarships, which are renewable for four years, are based on academic achievement and provide financial support for students attending two- and four-year colleges and universities. Applicants who exceed a grade point average of 3.5 receive a MacBook Pro laptop in addition to renewable scholarship funds.

 * ... MEMORIES: Nothing like a trip down memory lane to get a view of old Bakersfield and Highway 99 back in the day.

Two local death row inmates die of Covid-19 and District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer celebrates closure for their victims, H.A. Sala to talk about your rights during protests, and all those sports mascots and logos that are on the chopping block during this time of the great cleansing

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: How many times have you watched protesters attacking motorists and wondered: What would I do in that situation? If I hit the pedal and hurt somebody, will I be charged? If I fear my

life is in danger as they pound on my hood and windows, what are my rights? We will cover all of that and more on Tuesday when noted defense attorney H.A. Sala comes on The Richard Beene Show at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss our rights. Tune in.

 * ... COVID TAKE A KILLER(S): The coronavirus has claimed two lives on California's death row. This take from District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer: "Scott Thomas Erskine raped and murdered a 9 year old boy, a 13 year old boy, and and an adult woman. Manuel Machado Alvarez murdered a man and committed other violent felonies including rape. Hopefully, with the deaths of these sexual predators, the victims’ families can have some closure and peace."

  * ... PURITY POLICE: Now that the nation is in the grips of a feverish movement to destroy anything remotely offensive, let's review some of the sports teams logos that simply have to go in this climate. We can start with our own South High "Rebels," which you can guess, has been deemed out of bounds by the purity police. Then you can move on to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the University of Illinoi "Fighting Ilini" named after an Indian tribe, the Atlanta Braves, the longtime favorite Washington Redskins and - get this - the Holy Cross Crusaders. Now if a good old fashioned Christian crusade doesn't upset you, then few things will. And don't forget about the "Arabs" of the Coachella High School. If we have to explain it to you, then you just don't get it.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Just overheard a woman talking on her phone to her friend saying that she tested positive for Covid, but she feels fine and she needs to get her shopping done. She did have a mask on but her husband and kids didn't... Just to let folks know some people don't care for anyone's else's safety. We walked away and notified employees but she was on her way out...We just couldn't believe it. MASK Up folks."

 * ... MEMORIES: You must got to love some of these old pictures on the internet. Here, from a local Facebook page devoted to local history, is a picture from 1943 with this caption: "The peak flow of Kern River as measured at First Point near Hart Park the morning of March 10, 1943 was 21,701 cubic feet per second. The Beardsley River Weir is located just east of Gordon's Ferry Bridge. And they say, "In Bakersfield, it only rains at night".