Easter is celebrated as America becomes less religious, the building housing the old Trout's honky tonk goes up in flames, Measure N fuels big spending in Bakersfield and celebrating the sculptures of Ben Victor

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.

 * ... RELIGION AND AMERICA: We just celebrated Easter and worshipers throughout Kern County turned out at parks, in their homes and in places of worship to express their faith. There is no doubt Kern is a very religious place, with 49.4 percent of residents identifying themselves as religious with 30 percent of them saying they were practicing Catholics. But there also is no doubt that America is becoming less religious by the generation. By far, the least religious generation in the U.S. today is Generation Z

where 42 percent of respondents identified themselves as unaffiliated. Older Millenials come is second in terms of not believing in God (30 percent) followed by Generation X (21 percent), the Boomers (15 percent) and the Silent Generation (9 percent). The most religious states in the nation, according to Pew Research? That would start with Vermont with New York, Massachusetts and Utah close behind. The least religious states: Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Nevada and West Virginia.

 * ... ERIC SIMPSON? Speaking of religion a former counselor at the Bridge Bible Church has found himself in legal trouble over allegations of sexual misconduct. According to KGET, a lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct against former counselor Eric Simpson has been settled for an undisclosed sum. The suit alleged that Simpson manipulated a woman who had initially gone to him for marriage counseling sessions with her husband. Simpson, the lawsuit said, insisted on private sessions and eventually ended up sexually abusing the plaintiff. Simpson has apparently left the church and local attorney Gabe Godinez, who represented Simpson, told KGET his client admitted no wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement. 

 * ... MORE SIMPSON: Meanwhile, Simpson may have left the Bridge Bible Church but he has shown up as a person involved with CityServe of Bakersfield, a popular and influential non-profit that seeks to help the most needy in our community. The organization, which brings churches and non-profits together to serve the under privileged, owns the old Montgomery Ward building on F Street where officials announced new homeless housing would be created. Exactly when Simpson went to CityServe is not clear but he was identified on the organization's Facebook book page as director of the CityServe Educational Collaborative. In the Facebook feed, Simpson is quoted as saying that CityServe is in a partnership with Bakersfield College where "we are able to offer them quality education and opportunities to learn, develop, and utilize their skills to better our community, both in employment and as a person." Attempts to reach Pastor Wendell Vinson at CityServe for comment were not successful.

* ... MEASURE N: Remember Measure N, the city sales tax proposal that won voter approval by the narrowest of margins in 2018? Now also remember that the tax was passed by a public weary of soaring crime and chronic homelessness. Proceeds from the tax, the city assured us, would go primarily to combat crime. Then came the pandemic when tax revenues sunk and the city was fortunate to have another source of money. That tax now generates about $113 million a year, and it is largely responsible for a long laundry list of improvements across the city, some crime related and some not. This year, some of the Measure N money ($400,757) will go for mental health counselors at BPD, with another $3.8 million earmarked for enhancements to the downtown corridor. The Brundage homeless centers will get $1.8 million, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park gets $1.6 million, $2 million is set aside for city of living adjustments and $1.3 million is set aside for public art. 

 * ... OVERHEARD: At the Alberton's on Coffee Road and Stockdale Highway an employee is heard explaining why they were completely out of shopping carts: "We're so sorry but the homeless people take them all. It's been like this forever."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Wow, so when you answer the door naked to scare away Jehovah's witnesses, it's funny but when I do it with Girl Souts, I get arrested. Is it because I'm brown?" 

 * ... TROUT'S BURNS: The building that once housed the old Trout's honky tonk on north Chester went up in flames the evening of Easter, yet another blow to the rich history of the Bakersfield Sound and the remarkable musicians who put our community on the map. For folks interested in preserving local history this is yet another blow to a community that at times doesn't seem to honor its past. No word on the cause of the fire.

* ... BEN VICTOR: Last week we told you about a new statue that is being made for a World War II memorial at a downtown park,  and it turns out the artwork yet another piece by local Bakersfield product Ben Victor. Son of "Doc" Victor (president of a local bible college) and wife Joyce, Benjamin Victor is a Foothill High graduate who has emerged as one of our country's premier sculptors. (The public response to his work has been overwhelmingly positive so we will share more here). He already made the bronze Roadrunner sculpture at at CSUB  and he is the only living artist to have three works on display in the U.S. Capitol building. The new sculpture will go up at Jastro Park and will depict a wife and mother who just received a telegram that he husband had been killed in action. Victor's work is stunning, and in addition to the new sculpture, I am including some of his other works of art for your enjoyment.

* ... MEMORIES: The old Motel Bakersfield on Union Avenue, thanks to our friends at the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy visits U.S. troops stationed near Ukraine, Dr. Brij Bhambi is honored, local attorney David Cohn nears retirement and we near the three year anniversary of the sexual abuse allegations against a once popular local priest

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.

 * ... UKRAINE CONFLICT: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy led a bi-partisan group of U.S.

lawmakers to the NATO countries of Poland and Romania amid the Ukrainian crisis. McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and others met with local lawmakers and U.S. troops stationed near the Ukrainian border. Meanwhile, with the mid-term elections looming and inflation spiking and more trouble at the U.S. border, McCarthy may be eyeing becoming the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

* ... BRIJ BHAMBI: The life and work of Bakersfield's Dr. Brij Bhambi was honored this weekend during a gala at The Beverly Hilton. The California chapter of the College of Cardiology and the Israel Heart Society threw a five-star bash for Bhambi, honoring his work as chairman of Centric Health and the Bakersfield Heart Hospital. (Bhambi seen with Sheriff Donny Youngblood and DA Cynthia Zimmer)

 * ... CHAIN COHN CLARK: One of our community's premier plaintiff's law firm is undergoing a major change as its managing partner prepares to retire. With David Cohn getting ready to leave the firm at the end of the year, his law firm has launched a rebranding effort to focus on its new name, Chain Cohn Clark. Mathew Clark succeeds Cohn as managing partner.

 * ... MILESTONES: Can you believe it has been three years since Craig Harrison was suspended by the Catholic Church amid allegations he is a sexual predator? That's right, it was right around Easter in 2019 when the church suspended Harrison after allegations arose that he had sexually abused a young man in Firebaugh. It would be almost two years later - in February of 2021 - that Harrison would resign the priesthood, an almost unbelievable and shocking Shakespearean twist to the once popular priest's standing in the community. Since then, yet more men have come forward to accuse Harrison of being a sexual abuser, lawsuits are winding their way through the courts and the community waits for the details to be revealed once the cases go to trial. Harrison has avoided any possibility of criminal charges thanks to the statue of limitations, but the civil side promises to shed fresh new light on multiple allegations that have been simmering for years. (photos of a Harrison press conference by The Bakersfield Californian)

 * ... TAKE FRIDAY OFF: How many of us are ready to start taking Friday off? Well don't be surprised that the "take Friday off" movement is now becoming the reality across the country after two years of pandemic living. Some companies have moved to four-day work weeks while other employees are willing to take pay cuts to have Friday afternoons off. For the record, The New York Times says 32 percent of employers in the United States offer a compressed four-day work week.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old map, date uncertain, showing an old Bakersfield but without Ming Avenue. Thanks to the folks at Kern County of Old for this nugget.

 * ... BEST SHOT: I have a friend, JoJo Paredes Butingan, who is a talented photographer, often capturing dynamic views of our valley that he shares with his friends on social media. Here is a recent shot JoJo posted on his Facebook page capturing the green hills of spring.

* ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally, I ran into these two "Then and Now" pictures of the Tejon Pass, the first from May 2, 1905 at 10:55am, and the second  November 27, 2013 at 5:41pm.  What a difference in 108 years!"

New York City learns the hard way that most homeless want to remain on the streets, downtown Bakersfield retailers turn to private security to fend off crime and vagrants and sculptor Ben Victor gets some well deserved recognition

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.

 * ... DO THE HOMELESS WANT HELP? One of the more vexing issues facing our city is determining to what extent the thousands of homeless and vagrants actually want real help. Housing for the homeless is in woefully short supply, yet affordable housing remains one of the primary focuses by those charged with getting people off the streets and back on the road to self sufficiency. But what if all

those drug addicts, petty criminals and mentally challenged individuals could care less about finding a roof over their head? What if - gasp - they actually prefer being on the street? Before you dismiss the idea, understand that this is exactly what authorities are finding out in New York City where Mayor Eric Adams has launched a major push to clear the subways and get people off the streets. So far, according to the New York Times, of the hundreds of homeless moved from more than 239 homeless camps, only five have opted to move into shelters. That's right, just FIVE people have agreed to go into a city-run shelter out of hundreds. The others? They just want to stay on the street. This is the reality on the ground, and the sooner the powers that be in Bakersfield realize it, the better off we all will be. Shelter is the way to go for some, but for others it simply isn't realistic.

 * ... DOWNTOWN CRIME: And speaking of the homeless and rampant, out of control crime, you have to feel for all those downtown business people who have been struggling with graffiti, vandalism and petty theft for four years now. So far, the city has failed these businesses miserably, leaving retailers to fend for themselves as they battle chronic lawlessness. And now comes this: the Downtown Business Assn. is experimenting with an idea to have a local private security guards walk the streets downtown, hoping the mere presence of a rent-a-cop will bring order to the streets. Well, it's certainly a better idea than the DBA had a few years ago when its solution was printing cards that retailers could give vagrants telling them where they could get a hot shower and warm meal. That was an astonishing bad idea. The hard truth is this: both the DBA and city have been unable to make a real dent in this problem, and it won't be until the state legislature deals with a series of laws that decriminalized almost everything from heroin to street drugs before things will get better.

 * ... COVID TESTS: If you have not used that free Covid test sent to you by our government, make sure the test kit has not expired. It turns out all these Covid test kits are printed with an expiration date, but be careful because different tests have different expiration dates.

 * ... BEN VICTOR: One of the truly talented people to come out of Bakersfield is Ben Victor, son of Joyce and Doc Victor, and he received some overdue recognition recently by Assemblyman Vince Fong. Victor is an amazing sculptor, and he is the genius behind the Roadrunner sculpture out at CSUB as well as some remarkable work that now grace the halls of our nation's Capitol. Said Fong on his Facebook page: "Honored to be able to give an early surprise recognition to world renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor who is getting inducted into the Foothill High School Hall of Fame this weekend! He is the only living artist to have three sculptures in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol and he is the artistic creator of the Oil Worker Monument in Taft! Amazing work! Victor was just 26 years old when his first statue, Sarah Winnemucca, a Paiute activist in Nevada, was dedicated in the Hall in 2005, making him the youngest artist to ever be represented in the Hall. In 2014, his sculpture of Norman Borlaug, "the father of the Green Revolution," was dedicated in the National Statuary Hall and in 2019, his statue of Chief Standing Bear, a Native American rights leader, was dedicated in the National Statuary Hall making him the only living artist to have three sculptures in the Hall. (a few of Victor's works of art) 

* ... THE NEW AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD: The number of Americans who live in multi-generational households is skyrocketing and demographers say it just may become the norm. Since 1971, the number of us living with relatives has quadrupled. In March, says the New York Times, nearly 60 million people were living "with" multiple generations under one roof. Financial issues and caregiving are the top reasons why we live together, but overall those who do live with relatives are happy about it. "More adults living in multigenerational households say the experience has been positive (30 percent) or somewhat positive (27 percent) than say it has been somewhat negative (14 percent) or very negative (3 percent)," said the Pew Research Center.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these shots of some of our old hospitals, captured in vintage photos. Thanks to the Kern County History Fans.

The city embraces the Bakersfield marathon, the DeStafani family mansion on Buena Vista burns to the ground and the owners of Cafe Smitten on 18th Street plan to open a bar across the street in the old Dott & Ott

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.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD MARATHON: Another Bakersfield Marathon is in the books and along with it the gripes and complaints of some residents about all the street blockages. Others, perhaps cynically,

wondered if it was a mere coincidence that the Kern River bike path was repaved and restriped just days before the marathon, not to mention all the homeless encampments that were destroyed in the week before the race. So did the city spruce up the bike path and clear the homeless encampments just for the marathon? Or are folks just being cynical? And my friend Joseph had this to add: "Explain this to me. How have I never been able to get BPD to respond to a crime in progress but there can be multiple officers on every corner for this marathon? They are even on the bike path. Maybe if they did this all the time we wouldn’t have the problem in the river that we do."

 * ... BUT IT WORKS: Ini spite of all this, the marathon in its short life here has found its way into the collective heart of the city. Neighborhoods turned out to greet the runners, hundreds of recreational runners took park in shorter distance run and despite the traffic snarls, it is an event that adds to the richest and diversity of our community.  And hats off to the sponsors among them Dignity Health, Chevron, Jim Burke Ford, Buck Owens Crystal Palace and 23ABC.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I had no idea I had a gift for doing EVERYTHING wrong until my daughter became a pre-teen and decided to graciously point it out.'

 * ... NEW PLACES TO DRINK, EAT: There is a lot of activity in the local restaurant scene as Bakersfield comes out of the pandemic and people start resuming more normal lives. Shai Bitton, one of the owners of the popular Cafe Smitten coffee houses, revealed he has leased the space on 18t Street that once house Dott & Ott and will open a bar there later this year. And the main bartender at The 1800 restaurant and lounge, a Spanish gentleman named Cristo, is planning to open an authentic Spanish tapas bar over near the Locale farm to table eatery across from the downtown post office.

 * ... FIRE GUTS HOUSE: If you have ever driven out west on Buena Vista, headed toward the coast, you no doubt have seen the large home with multiple towering pines out near Independence High School. Well it turns out that house, owned by the DeStefani family, caught fire this past weekend and much of the huge mansion was lost. Authorities later arrested a suspect. No word yet on the full extent of the damages.

 * ... PRIEST ABUSE: Have you noticed the rash of TV advertisements by a law firm looking for people who have been abused by Catholic priests? Run and paid for by the Minnesota-based firm of Jeff Anderson and Associates, the spots begin by showing the dangling feet of a young man, presumably in church, while in the grainy background a priest walks in, setting up a scenario in which the viewer believes something sinister is about to happen. As it turns out, the law firm is already representing two men who claim they were sexually abused by former priest Craig Harrison, who left the church under a cloud of accusations. One unidentified man claimed he was between 15 and 17 years old when he was abused by Harrison in Firebaugh in 1993-1995 and the other claimed Harrison abused him when he was around 13 years old back in 1990 at St. Francis. Those lawsuits are pending and will soon be heard in civil court. Harrison was put on paid leave by the Diocese of Fresno in April of 2019, he later filed a defamation suit against the Diocese (it was dismissed) and Harrison has since left the church and surrendered his priestly duties. Harrison cannot face any criminal charges because of the statute of limitations, but he does face multiple civil lawsuits that seek to hold him accountable.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these old photos courtesy of our friends who maintain the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, that posts so many wonderful memories.

The homeless are rousted out of their camps along the Kern River but then promptly overwhelm the Garces Circle, the old Tam 'O Shanter restaurant in up for sale and the curse of graffiti and vandalism throughout our town

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.

 * ... BIKE TRAIL TRASH: It was good to see some movement, however small it was, to destroy some of the homeless camps that have cropped up along the Kern River Parkway bike path. Hundreds of homeless live in the dry riverbed,  primarily between Beach Park and Manor but also west of there all the out to the Park at Riverwalk. The city's homeless task force occasionally moves in to remove the camps - after posting warnings to give the homeless time to move - and invariably the homeless return, often

leaving a bigger mess than they did previously. But the move to enforce no camping ordinances is all we have, and it is good to see it being enforced. These signs went up last week, warning "residents" that they were about to be disrupted. Its a good start but if the past is a pattern, the vagrants will return to their camps within days of being ousted.

 * ... THE TRASH OF OUR TOWN: And in the midst of our homeless crisis our city continues to operate as the personal toilet bowl of so many of those who live among us. The Garces Circle is a prime example of a place that has become a favorite campaign ground for the homeless. There are few other eyesores as visible as under the Garces Circle underpass where literally dozens of vagrants gather. This past weekend reader Steve Loftus passed the circle on his way to the Kern County Museum and he sent this email to Mayor Karen Goh: "This afternoon after attending the opening of the Bakersfield Sound exhibit at the Kern County museum, I had to misfortune of driving south on Chester Avenue to the Garces Circle. The sites of the vagrants and mentally ill and the litter and the destruction is absolutely unbelievable. Recently, the councilman whose district the circle is in was beside himself because there is more grant money coming to the city to clean up this area. Why is grant money needed? Why isn't law enforcement and code enforcement taking action using existing city ordinances and laws? What an absolute disgrace for anyone attending this event coming from out of townand driving to the beautiful museum and seeing this wonderful exhibit but having to drive the Garces Circle which is basically become Bakersfield's skid row with everyone in city government looking at it every single day and taking no action. Why is no action being taken against the people that are vandalizing the park property within the Garces Circle? If I drove my car onto the lawn there's no doubt in my mind the Bakersfield Police would issue me a citation. Today when I drove by there was somebody raking all of the bark out of the bushes at the circle and yet there's no law enforcement contact with that person. Are the lawless vagrants in Bakersfield not subject to existing laws and city ordinances? Why isn't the city enforcing ordinances and state law? This should be done even without the for coming grant." To her credit, Goh responded to Loftus and told him the city was working with Caltrans on some fencing at the circle that could help resolve the issue. (photos by Steve Loftus)

 * ... THE SHAME: Meanwhile, I snapped these pictures during a leisurely stroll downtown on Sunday morning. Just another example of out of control crime, graffiti and vandalism that has beset Ward 2 on the watch Councilman Andre Gonzales.

 * ... OVERHEARD: Everyone has two lives; the second one begins when you realize you only have one.

 * ... A PIECE OF HISTORY: A piece of local history went up for sale last week when the old Tam 'O Shanter restaurant went on the market. A mainstay of the La Cresta area and east Bakersfield back in the day, the Tam 'O Shanter on Alta Vista was once one of Bakersfield's fanciest restaurants and drew a virtual who's who of Bakersfield. Contact Mikaela Cadena of the Bernal Real Estate Team

(c) 661-201-3807

 * ... TOMMY'S PIZZA: The hottest new restaurant in town is Tommy's Pizza, operating out of Imbibe Wine and Spirits and the brain child of Thomas Benham, son of California columnist Herb Benham and his wife, former city councilwoman and Dignity Health executive Sue Benham. A classically trained chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Benham is focusing on homemade crust and custom pizza that have no equals about town. With virtually no advertising (he doesn't yet have a business phone number or website) Tommy's Pizza has already won the hearts of local diners in the two short weeks he has been open.

 * ... MEMORIES: Another terrific post from Art Moore at the Kern County History Fans where these "then and now" shot were posted showing Chester Avenue looking south toward the clock tower before it was destroyed after the 1952 earthquake.