Ford makes a big gamble on an all electric version of its popular F-150 pickup truck, a billboard pops up criticizing Rep. Kevin McCarthy and remember the hold Hell's Angels movie filmed at Hart Park

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.

 * ... F-150: Head's up Kern County. This is known as truck country, but are Kern County pickup truck drivers ready to trade in their gas guzzling vehicles to go all electric? Ford Motor Co. thinks they are, and that's why Ford has placed a big bet on its all new F-150 electric vehicle that should hit the show rooms

next year. Ford thinks offering its best selling pickup in an electric version could spur the rush to all electric vehicles. The new F-150 Lightning will have a starting price tag at just under $40,000 before any tax credits are factored in. Ford is hoping to attract fleet buyers who prefer trucks that are cheaper to operate.

 * ... BILLBOARD: Did you see the new billboard criticizing Rep. Kevin McCarthy that popped up along California Avenue near Highway 99?

 * ... HOUSING PRICES SPIKE: The price of housing in California continues its meteoric rise with the median price now topping $800,000 - that's right, closing in on a cool million dollars -  putting a home out of reach for hundreds of thousands of people. According to a The California Association of Realtors, April home sales increased 65% from a year ago, with 458,170 believed to have changed hands. “California continues to experience one of the hottest housing markets as homes sell at the fastest pace ever, with the share of homes sold above asking price, the price per square foot and the sales-to-list price all at record highs,” said Dave Walsh, California Association of Realtors President Dave Walsh. A decade ago the media price was around $250,000 following the Great Recession.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: I spotted this picture of a boat load of trash that was unceremoniously dumped on Edison Highway the other day. And so it goes.

 * ... FORMER PRIEST: A former priest who has been accused of preying on multiple young men while serving in California parishes lost a round in court when a Fresno County Superior Court Judge threw out his defamation lawsuit against the Catholic Church. Craig Harrison, who left the priesthood earlier this year, had sued the Diocese of Fresno claiming that a church official, Teresa Dominguez, had defamed him in remarks to a radio station. The court disagreed and tossed the lawsuit. Attorneys for Harrison said they will appeal. Harrison has been accused of using his favor to curry favor with troubled young men and making sexual overtures to several of them over the years. The often lurid allegations have been at odds with Harrison's otherwise untarnished reputation in the community, leaving the community split between those who believe him and those who believe he was most certainly involved in some way.

 * ... HARRISON TODAY: Meanwhile, Harrison is living in Bakersfield and working to polish his reputation and start anew after leaving the church. He apparently is thinking of working as a life coach or personal counselor, and this week he appeared at Hodel's to address an standing room only crowd of adoring middle-aged women. Attending was state Sen. Shannon Grove, a Bakersfield Republican who has stood by Harrison's side despite the accusations. The event drew the attention of Christine Niles,  who works at ChurchMilitant.com, an organization that tracks accused pedophile priests and has been a thorn in Harrison's side since he was suspended by the Diocese of Fresno. (Harrison has been at odds with the organization and sued a member of the Roman Catholic Faithful for defamation) Niles noted Grove's presence at Hodel's and concluded this: "The cult of Msgr. Craig Harrison is live and well in Bakersfield. Nevermind the alleged victims and their suffering."

 * ... VACCINES: Centric Health, an integrated medical care company, administered more than 10,000 Covid-19 vaccines along with its sister organization, Bakersfield Heart Hospital. According to Centric president Dr. Brij Bhambi, the hospital also administered some 10,000 vaccines, bringing Centric's total contribution to more than 20,000 doses.

 * ... HELLS ANGELS ON WHEELS: The 1967 movie Hells Angels on Wheels was playing on local television the other day, an offbeat look at the motorcycle gang shot in and around Bakersfield. The movie was shot both in town and out near Hart Park, and it's a treat to pick out local landmarks during the film.

 * ... COUSIN HERB: Thanks to the Kern County History Fans website for this nugget: "1950's - KERO TV ... The Cousin Herb Show... Photo credit to Michael L Henson.

 * ... MEMORIES: From the Kern County of Old Facebook page comes this picture of four women on a crew for picking cotton in Buttonwillow.

Dr. Brij Bhambi: Society is at war with vaccine hesitancy even while the young are threatened by the deadly variant out of India ...

 Dr. Brij Bhambi is a Bakersfield cardiologist, officer in Centric Health and physician-owner of Bakersfield Heart Hospital. He has been a regular guest on The Richard Beene Show on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM/1180 AM. His thoughts appear regularly in Bakersfield Observed. In his words:

 Crowning Glory

 "It's been a tale of virus and vaccine. Mankind was blindsided by the release of a pathogen from the vicinities of a lab in Wuhan. A recent report by WHO to investigate the origins of Covid-19, spearheaded by past president of Liberia, used plenty of ink and English yet managed to say nothing. A transparent

failure to hide lies.

 "The virus is ravaging the globe with escalating numbers. Misery is compounded by the spread of virus in countries that are sparsely resourced to mount a meaningful defense. As bodies pile, the perpetrator consolidates power and influence to the detriment of USA.

 Here in USA, we were saved by the miracle of vaccine. A miracle a few anticipated but many worked for. Standing on the shoulders of giants, to paraphrase Issac Newton, science was able to create magic in record time led ably by Warp Speed team. 

 The Covid-19 virus is genetically more advanced than RNA viruses like Influenza. Its larger genome empowers it to proof read its progeny and minimize errors. This stability in the genome of the virus provided science a steadier target, hence better marksmanship.

 The continued replication of virus though is a precarious station. It tempts the faith. Already multiple variants with better skillset to infect and evade immunity have evolved. Fortunately, evolutionary skills of the virus so far have not exceeded the efficacy of existing vaccines. 

Immunity whether natural or vaccine based, compels virus to evolutionary pressures to reincarnate itself as a chameleon engineered to circumvent building immunity.

 Virus replication is a threat humanity need to contain and defeat. 

 Mitigation and vaccination are our proven repertoire.

 CDC has struggled to be consistent in its recommendations. Till recently it erred on the side of abundance of caution. Pressures must have been building. Comforted by emerging data from around the world affirming the efficacy of vaccine in preventing infections and reducing transmissibility, CDC decided to relax mask wearing guidelines across the board barring healthcare settings(and few others like prisons). 

If nothing else, CDC has a knack for jolting the weary. 

 Let's do an inventory.

 Roughly half of the population in USA has had one shot of the vaccine. A little over third have had both shots. A significant fraction of population has had infection. Some both. We can see the mountain top now. 

That reminds me of my first hike to Mt Whitney.

 As I tip toed in to early middle age, urges of fading youth pushed me to smell the roses. Hence Mt Whitney. 

 "The mountain reminded my every upward step that the country doc was unaccustomed to the physical toils. That was before verticality approached its rarefied better half called altitude. I was unacclimated to altitude too. Every forward step expended more energy with diminishing returns. Beyond effort it took persistence. Mountain top demands commitment and discipline. Quitting as they say is forever. 

So also is success. 

That reinforces the imperative that this close to the mountain top we need to recommit.

 "As I have reiterated ad nauseam,  vaccine hesitancy is the last mile we need to triumph through doctors offices. Its the steepest part of the hill, the part where you retool to summit the top.

 "The vaccinated now can intermingle per CDC. Vaccinated is a word to be taken at face value(with or without mask). 

 "We are a deeply polarized country.  President Reagan wisely suggested, trust but verify. The current data suggests more than two thirds of us have trust deficit with each other. Add to that a third or more of the population that questioned the virulence of virus and is adamantly opposed to vaccination. 

We can’t trust or verify!

 The “vaccine anxious” have been vaccinated. We need to recognize that least vaccinated are the kids 18 and under. Who among us will expose our kids to an inadvertent infection when a variant from India is relentlessly sickening the kids. 

 The pressures and anxiety on the part of CDC not withstanding, this recommendation is eminently premature. 

 We may never defeat vaccine hesitancy, we still should allow a few weeks to expeditiously vaccinate the kids whose parents restlessly await the vaccine salvation. 

Expanded immunity among the willing is our best shield against this pathogen. 

 "The resurgence of virus in the third world is largely predicated by abandonment of mitigation measures. New iterations of virus maybe more contagious but still yield to standard mitigation measures. We in USA and EU need to expand our vaccine production to help vaccinate the rest of the world. Our world depends on it.

"In founding this country, the forefathers renounced the crown. Humanity is grateful for their emancipatory vision. The crown is a scornful word but calling vaccine a crowning glory, that I can live with. If you haven’t had vaccine yet, get one. Royalty will have nothing on you. 

The glory was never in the crown.

Bakersfield residents favor fighting crime and reducing homelessness over investing in Old Town Kern, Zav Dadabhoy named interim president of Bakersfield College and remembering CSUB's first basketball team from 1971

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.

 * ... SPENDING PRIORITIES: Here's a clear message for City Councilman Andres Gonzales and his council colleagues on how the public wants its money spent: focus on the homeless and fighting crime. It's as simple as that. Everything else is optional and so far down the public's priority list that it is hardly

worth mentioning. That's the very clear message from a recent survey by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce which reveled that an overwhelming percentage of Bakersfield voters (an astounding 79 percent) view homelessness as our greatest spending priority. Fighting crime, and hiring more police officers, came in second (41 percent) and improving streets and sidewalks third (27.6 percent). Missing from the list was the new pet project of Councilman Gonzales, revitalizing Old Town Kern, which was cited by a mere 18 percent. Now that Measure N is providing a new level of money to spend, Gonzales seems hellbent to commit millions of taxpayer dollars to reviving a part of Bakersfield that the public sector has abandoned, Old Town Kern. The survey says it clearly: the taxpayers want Gonzales and others to concentrate on the crime and homelessness first. Get that right and then consider other projects.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "It's not premarital sex if you never get married. Follow me for more biblical loopholes.

 * ... NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT: Zav Dadabhoy has been named the interim president of Bakersfield College, replacing Sonya Christian who was appointed chancellor of the Kern Community College District. Dadabhoy has been at BC since 2012 serving in a number of positions, including vice president of Student Affairs. 

 * ... GAS SHORTAGES: The gasoline shortages sweeping the east coast have led people to the extreme. In some cases, folks are filling up plastic bags and cans full of gas to get them through the shortage. A few pictures that popped up this week.

 * ... CSUB RUNNERS: Check out this picture of the original CSUB Men's Roadrunner basketball team from back in 1971. For the record books, the first man to ever score a point in basketball for CSB was Richard Ross, who cashed in a free throw after 1:11 of play. The team, which had no home court, practiced at Lakeside School and local high schools. Despite these initial challenges, head coach Jim Larson - just 30 years old - assembled a quality roster that included team captain Odis Ward, co-captain Walter Clapp, Carl Toney, Ken Shiloh, Richard Ross, Robert Rodriguez, Ellis Porter, Jimmy Jones, Sean Baxter, Howard Bell, Rodger Carr, Kenny Pauls, Bob Kelly and James Anderson. The ’Runners made their home debut on Dec. 14, 1971, before more than 1,500 fans at the Civic Auditorium.

 * ... EL ADOBE: Feast your eyes on these old pictures of the El Adobe Hotel on Union Avenue, thanks to the Kern County History Fans page on Facebook. These shots are from the 1940's.

Top administrators leave Bakersfield City Hall for greener pastures, the bulldozers reduce the old Sinaloa restaurant to rubble and why the City Council needs to forget about saving the old railroad depot

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.

 * .... EXODUS: What is going on over at Bakersfield City Hall? Maybe nothing, but it does raise red flags when two of the most important department heads in the city - Public Works Director Nick Fidler

and Assistant City Manager Jacqui Kitchen - resign to pursue other jobs. Fidler and Kitchen are seasoned city administrators at the top of their game, and they are turning their back on two 'destination" jobs. Is it just coincidence, or does it show their displeasure with City Manager Christian Clegg's operating style? Both Fidler and Kitchen were devotees of former city manager Alan Tandy, and while no one is talking, speculation is rampant and the new culture at city hall and how it might be driving good people away.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.

-Benjamin Franklin"

 * ... CSUB WRESTLING: Congratulations to Vernon and Janis Varner who have funded scholarships for the CSUB wrestling program to the tune of $25,000. The Varners are longtime supporters of CSUB wrestling and The Coyote Club, which regularly raises money to support the sport.

 * ... MEET CRAIG HARRISON, CITIZEN: For the first time in his adult life, Craig Harrison is no long affiliated with the Catholic Church. That deal was sealed this week when the pope  released Harrison from the priesthood after a long period of acrimony, accusations, bad blood and hints of scandal involving Harrison and a number of young men who claimed Harrison sexually abused them years ago. The charges may never be verified - it is a virtual he said/he said situation - and after being suspended by the church, Harrison made the decision to sue the church for defamation. That lawsuit still stands - you can bet the church was not happy about it - and it led to Harrison resigning his post when he feared retaliation from the diocese. Then the letter came, basically saying the pope had accepted his resignation and was moving on. Harrison is also moving on, reportedly eyeing a counseling and life coaching business here in town.

* ... RIP SINALOA: The Sinaloa Mexican restaurant, long a mainstay of downtown Bakersfield with a long list of followers, has been torn down to make room for new apartments. The bulldozers and cranes moved in Wednesday afternoon and make quick work of the historic old building. Sage Equities is planning to build apartments at the site.

 * ... MY TAKE: The idea of saving the old Union Pacific railroad depot on Old Town Kern is born of good intentions, but it is an idea doomed to fail. Aside from the good that comes from preserving the past, the building is too large, in terrible shape and given its location will likely never have a chance to be restored without millions of dollars. For Councilman Andres Gonzales and other supporters: if you can't control the homeless population or keep the Kern River Parkway safe and clean, what makes you think you can save and restore a dilapidated old building in an economically challenged area beset with crime and homelessness?

 

* ... COURTHOUSE MEMORIES: Check out this photo, courtesy of the Kern County of Old on Facebook, of the old Kern County courthouse.

CSUB and other state schools will demand proof of vaccination to enroll, the city cleans homeless camps along the Kern River and three business people are appointed to the city Planning Commission

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.

 * ... PROOF OF VACCINE: If you are thinking of enrolling at CSUB or any campus in the CSU or University of California system this fall you will need to show proof of vaccination. That's the word from

the CSU Chancellor’s Office, who noted the mandate is dependent on an adequate supply of vaccines. As of now, the only exemptions will be allowed for medical or religious reasons. There have been discussions for allowing other exemptions in the future although no decision has been made.

 * ... KERN RIVER TRASH: I was thrilled to see a half dozen city of Bakersfield dump trucks and pickups on the Kern River bike path this week, busy cleaning up dozens of homeless camps along the dry riverbed. Most of the action was happening between Beach Park and Manor, a stretch of the bike path that is heavily infested with homeless encampments. The cleanup coincides with a volunteer river cleanup session set for Saturday at the parking lot off Manor.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Never understood the phrase 'I’ll give you something to cry about.' I’ve already found something to cry about. Problem solved, call off the search."

 * ... CRIME VICTIMS: A sobering view from national Crime Victim's Rights Week, down Truxtun in front of the courthouse.

 * ... CASSIE BITTLE: Cassie Bittle, owner of KC Steakhouse downtown, has been appointed to the Planning Commission. Bittle said her role on the commission would be to "give back" after local government supported small businesses during the long pandemic. There were three openings on the commission and joining Bittle as new members were Zack Bashirtash of Infiniti and businessman Larry Koman.

 * ... MEMORIES: Thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page for these two pictures of The Hopkins Building at 19th and Chester, one from July 1952 after the earthquake and the second in March 2021.

Hart Park and the park at the Panorama Bluffs are set for improvements, the city is overrun with stray cats and dogs and Tina Marie's to open downtown in the old Chef's Noodle Bar

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.

 * ... GREENBELT IMPROVEMENTS: Hart Park and the green belt along the Panorama Bluffs are in for major improvements over the next few months. That's the word from county Chief Administrative

Officer Ryan Alsop who said the Hart Park "master plan" called for new signage at both ends of the park, refurbishing an old adobe building for new use and improvements to the trail head parking area near the old Sheriff's pistol range. (historic photos courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page)

 * ... DOGS AND CATS: Do you remember a few years ago when there was a big stink about the enormous number of dogs and cats that were being euthanized at our local shelters? Well things are better, I am happy to report, not perfect, but certainly better. Julie Johnson, who wears two hats as director of both the local SPCA and city of Bakersfield Animal Care services, said it wasn't long ago that 80 percent of the dogs brought to local shelters were being euthanized. "Now we are saving 80 percent," she told me. The reason: more awareness about the benefits of spay and neutering and the emergence of the non-profit Critters Without Litters in 2013. Still, the situation here in Kern County is critical, she said, and there is a particular problem with pit bull and pit mixes, which currently comprise half of all dogs at the city shelter.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Had a dude smoking a cigarette next to his oxygen tank tell me I look stupid in my mask."

 * ... OLD HANGTOWN: The city of Placerville, known as "Old Hangtown" in remembrance of the number of hangings during the Gold Rush, has removed the image of a noose from its logo. The logo shows a miner washing gold in a stream. The noose hangs from a tree in the background. The noose was removed when some residents argued it gave the city a bad reputation.

 * ... ADIOS EMA: Ema Sasic, a features reporter at The Bakersfield Californian, is leaving the paper to join USA Today in Palm Springs. Sasic announced the move on Twitter saying this: "After almost three years at  @Bakersfieldcali,  I’m moving on to a new California adventure. I’ll be joining the 

@MyDesert @USATODAY. Network in Palm Springs as a health reporter! Apparently it’s not hot enough in Bakersfield for me so now I’m headed for the desert!"

 * ... TINA MARIE'S: The restaurant Tina Marie's, which suffered a devastating fire a few months ago, will be setting up shop in the location of Chef's Choice Noodle Bar which is moving to the Southwest. Tina Marie Brown said she was thrilled to remain downtown and reiterated that she plans to rebuild in the original location. 

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this picture of a building along Chester that once housed the JC Penny's store. Look familiar? Thanks to the group Kern County History Fans for this gem.

Researchers suggest we may all need a "new" vaccine shot or a booster in the near future, Amazon buys the Wilson Road Walmart to get up a delivery facility and a sign from Chet's Club joins the museum

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 VACCINES: There seems to be a growing consensus that the array of coronavirus vaccines - Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson - are not long-term solutions to the ongoing threat of mutant

variant viruses. Researchers now say they vaccines will likely need booster shots, or new vaccines altogether, because they lose their effectiveness over time. That, of course, would mean that billions of people across the world may have to receive a booster shot just so society can maintain an upper hand against the Covid-19 viruses and its variants. Researchers are hoping they can find a way to give the vaccine in pill form, vastly reducing the hassle factor in receiving the dose.

 

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Did they stop painting wings on brick walls or did girls just find other places to take pictures?"

 * ... SEXUAL ORIENTATION: This clip from a CNN discussion pretty much says sit all. What do you think?

 * ... AMAZON: Did you hear Amazon is expanding again in Bakersfield, this time taking over the old Kmart on Wilson Road as a new delivery station? The company said the building would under go an extensive renovation to evolve into a Last Mile delivery building creating some 200 jobs. The company hopes to open the new facility at the end of this year.

 * ... MUTANT VARIANT: Right when it looks like things are getting better with the pandemic we learn there is a new "double mutant variant" discovered in California. The new variant first emerged in India and a handful of cases have been detected in the Bay Area. The "double mutant" carries two mutations that helps it latch onto cells.

 * ... CHET'S CLUB: Yet another iconic neon sign has joined the Kern County Museum, this one from Chet's Club, an old card club  and diner on Edison Highway. Chet's Club was housed next to the Lucky Spot honky tonk and was known for its coffee, chili and occasional rough crowd. The sign is now at the Kern County Museum.

 * ... MEMORIES: A nice old picture of the Penny's building that is now a local museum. Thanks to the Kern County History Fans and Art Moore for sharing this.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And this one, again from the Kern County History Fans, of that famous place the Bakersfield Inn.