Oil and gas industry fights back against attempts to eliminate it, assessing the filthy aftermath of the downtown Christmas parade and the non-profit journalism site SJV Water seeks support for its reporting

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.

 * ... OIL JOBS: A new grass roots campaign has been launched to protect hundreds of thousands of job in California associated with the oil and gas industry. Expect to see black and white bumper stickers that say "My job depends on oil" as the industry fights back against attempts by Gov. Gavin Newsom and

others to drive it into bankruptcy. Consider this: nearly 366,000 jobs in California are supported by the oil and gas industry, which paid out $226 billion in wages. More than $152 billion in total economic output was added to the California economy in 2017, and $21.6 billion in tax revenue helped fund essential services like schools, roads and public safety. Yet despite all this the state continues on its hell-bent way to destroy the oil and gas industry.  “It’s impossible to overstate the importance of the oil and gas industry in the Central Valley and California,” BizFed Central Valley CEO Clint Olivier said. “California could be a leader in environmentally-safe and humanitarian oil and gas production, but it has unfortunately chosen another route. Worse yet, the state has done so without any realistic plan for a just transition, leaving hundreds of thousands of hard-working Californians feeling massive job insecurity.”

For additional background, please visit: https://myjobdependsonoil.com/

 * ... HOME OWNERSHIP: If you own a home in California, and can afford to make the payments, consider yourself lucky. That's because the value of California housing is rising so quickly that few people can muster enough money for a down payment. Consider these statistics: the median price of a home in California is now nearing $850,000, a reality that puts housing out of the reach of most first time buyers, seniors and almost all categories of consumers. Fewer than 55 percent of Californians live in homes they or their families own. The bottom line, according to Cal Matters columnist Dan Walkers, is that only 18 percent of California households can afford a median-priced single-family home of $829,760. That’s because it requires an income of at least $192,800 to make payments on a 30-year mortgage with a 5.72% interest rate. Since those data were calculated, mortgage interest rates have climbed to more than 7%, reducing affordability even more.

 * ... CHRISTMAS PARADE: On the morning after the annual Christmas parade, the streets downtown take on all the charm of a college frat party: debris and trash everywhere, food wrappers and cups tossed aside with no thought, a mountain of garbage left behind by an unthinking mob. The city cleans is up all right, albeit at considerable expense, but once again we earn our reputation as one of the trashier cities in the valley. All that said, the parade was a huge success, drawing thousands, and who wouldn't appreciate our District Attorney (Cynthia Zimmer) in her Grinch like costumer clutching an adorable puppy?

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "How would people in the Homeless Industry Complex earn a living if they actually reduced homelessness?"

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Dating after 40 is like trying to find the least damaged thing at a thrift store that doesn't smell."

* ... BRING BACK THE KERN: Bring Back the Kern is a local organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing the riparian area where the Kern River cuts through our community. Its Facebook page, Bring Back the Kern, recently posted this picture of the old Gordon's Ferry at the base of the bluffs. The photo caption: "Bakersfield has a beautiful and wild history. In this 1918 photo of the Kern River you see both a large body of water and a thick riparian forest. This is probably taken near the Gordon's Ferry Bridge (current China Grade Loop). The forest has been diminished over the years but Panorama Vista Preserve is restoring it in some stretches. There is a lot of potential for further restoration like this along the Kern River."

 * ... YOUTH VOTE: Cal Matters, a non-profit investigative journalism site out of Sacramento, recently took a look at voter turnout with special attention to voting by young people. While young people are engaged and voting, Cal Matters said they still are not outnumbering seniors. "Looking just at California, among the ballots we have recorded so far, there were 3.2 million seniors who cast ballots among the 5.1 million registered, but of the 6 million voters under 35, only 1.3 million voted," it noted. "Seniors comprise 23% of voters but 36% of ballots cast; younger voters are 27% of voters and only 15% of ballots cast. This gap will narrow a bit as we get final numbers from county registrars, but the story will stay the same: young people are massively underperforming." Still, they are having an impact simply because so many vote the same way: liberal.  "While youth turnout is disappointingly low, young people put their stamp on this election nonetheless – and it is because of their much more strident ideological stances," it said. "Seniors are balanced in their political leanings, with recent polling from Capitol Weekly showing that approximately 40% of voters over 35 years old identify as moderates, with equal numbers considering themselves either liberal or conservative. This in contrast to the 25% of younger voters who identify as moderates and are more liberal than conservative at a 3 to 1 ratio. Most strikingly, upwards of 40% of these young voters consider themselves very liberal, while other age groups are in single-digits."

* ... SJV WATER: SJV Water is a Bakersfield-based non profit focused solely on covering all things water in California. Founded by award winning journalist Lois Henry, SJV Water has gained an impressive following as it has evolved into one of the trustworthy sources of unbiased news coverage of California water. This month SJV Water is having a matching fund raiser campaign that will last through Dec. 31. All individual donations will be matched to a cap of $20,000. https://sjvwater.org/support-sjv-water/donate/

 * ... MEMORIES: Not what year this photo was taken, but we do know its on Chester and it was the Fourth of July. This photo is compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. In the second picture, from the same Facebook group, the old road between  Los Angeles and Bakersfield (the Ridge Route) is shown in 1908 long before the completion of Interstate 5.

Bakersfield welcomes home the college kids who flock to Basque eateries, the pet explosion has forced the county to begin euthanizing puppies and a local cardiologist shares some sentiments for the holiday

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.

 

 * ... A NOTE FROM BRIJ: Dr. Brij Bhambi is many things: a world class cardiologist, owner of

Bakersfield Heart Hospital, runner, philanthropist and not to be forgotten, a grateful immigrant. From his vantage point as a successful immigrant and community pillar, his thoughts on our world and the politics of the day have always intrigued me. And his annual Thanksgiving message did not disappoint, reminding us all that Thanksgiving is "a 'carve out' when we take time away from complaints and live in the moment. It is a privileged day ... Let this day remind us that we can live the moment now, the moment next, and build a chain of moments that becomes a life of happiness. We can triumph over challenges and yet be happy." A chain of moments that becomes a life of happiness. Works for me.

 * ... HAPPY THANKSGIVING: If it's the Thanksgiving weekend in Bakersfield you can bet the restaurants, bars and pubs will be jammed with many of our grown children who return home for the holidays. It's one of the joys of the season, running into kids who now attend Cal Poly or Arizona or Texas Christian or UCLA. You can find them at their favorite haunts, places like Luigi's, Woolgrower's, Uricchio's, Pyrenees Cafe, Narducci's,  Dewar's or any other place that gives them a taste of home. 

 * ... BEST AIRPORTS: Now that we are in the holiday travel season it's time to look at newly released on-time ratings for airports. Given San Francisco's dismal reputation, it might surprise you that its airport ranked the best among larger airports and nearby Sacramento headed the list off midsize airports. According to the Wall Street Journal, the worst performing large airport was in Newark, N.J., and La Guardia in New York. San Francisco and Minneapolis have the highest domestic ticket rices in the country. Airports in Florida, which fared poorly in the survey because of congested airspace, had the best prices.

 * ... ELECTIONS: With almost all the votes counted we have some winners in some tight races. At the top of the ticket, Congressman David Valadao survived a challenge from Democrat Rudy Salas, holding onto his seat for another term. Valadao becomes the only member of Congress to vote for Trump's impeachment to return to office, and it was one of the most expensive congressional races in the nation. Some other notable races:

 a) Measure K, the sales tax increase on the county ballot, survived thanks to a well orchestrated and effective campaign by chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and Sheriff Donny Youngblood. The fact that the tax passed is remarkable, given how conservative our county is, and it was pushed over the top by the traveling road show of Alsop/Zimmer and Youngblood, perhaps three of the most trusted public officials in the county.

 b) Jeff Flores will succeed Mike Maggard as 3rd District Supervisor, narrowly defeating retired highway patrolman Brian Smith. Interestingly, Smith admitted late in the race he was an election denier and one has to wonder, given how close the race was, if just enough voters were repelled by this that it tipped the race in Flores favor. Some believe Smith shot himself in the foot when running against a fellow conservative who did not fall in line with Trump's list.

c) Taft Dr. Jasmeet Bains had little trouble turning back Supervisor Leticia Perez for a seat in the State Assembly.

 * ... EUTHANIZING PETS: We have some terrible news to report concerning a recent spike in the number of dogs and cats - and puppies as well - that are being euthanized in Kern County because of the explosion of pets. During the pandemic, with people stuck at home, there was a rush on pet adoptions and Kern County came close to becoming a "no kill" shelter. But that was then, and today so many dogs and cats are being returned or simply let loose, that county animal control officials say they must resort to euthanizing puppies to keep up.

 * ... MORE CRIME: Narducci's has become the latest business to suffer from a wave of crime across the city. Over the weekend someone broke into the famous Basque bar and stole cash register machines and other items.

 * ... SOUND WALLS: Downtown residents who live south of 24th Street are getting sound walls at the end of their cue-de-sacs. The long promised walls, which will block some sound of rushing traffic while providing a better view, started going up this week and the work should be completed in a few weeks.

 * ... MEMORIES: Take a look at this picture, at the intersection of North Chester and Washington Avenue, back in the day. This photo is courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. The second photo comes from the same group and may be one of the best pictures of the old clock tower and the nearby Haberfelde Building.

The owners of Cafe Smitten looking at a new downtown business, The Cue gets ready to open and electric cars become the hottest segment of the new car market

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.

 * ... EASTCHESTER: Keep an eye on east 18th Street - dubbed Eastchester by the downtown crowd - for some new developments. First, the owners of Cafe Smitten - Stasie and Shai Bitton - are preparing to

open a new food and drink establishment across the street in the home of the old Dot & Ott. The venue will offer mixed drinks and food, and has been named the "Botanist." The original Cafe Smitten was opened in February 2017, followed by the Buena Vista location several years later.

 * ... THE CUE: A little farther east down 18th Street, nestled next door to the Silver Fox Lounge and across the street from Mexicali, the new Cue luxury apartments is about to open, providing yet more housing in the central business district. The Cue joins the 17th Street Townhomes as the latest project by city councilman Robert Smith and a group of investors. Ground already has been broken for a third apartment complex at the site of the old Sinaloa restaurant, and a fourth and fifth complex are in the works for the same area.

 * ... NEW STORES: Meanwhile out on Rosedale Highway a new Chick-fil-A is being built at the site of the old Pier One. It will be the second Chick-fil-A in town and, judging by the success of the California Avenue location, this one will be a hit. In fact, developers are building the new franchise with two drive-thru lines to speed things up.

 * ... ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES: Sales of electric vehicles in the United States have gone mainstream and battery powered vehicles are now the fastest growing segment of the auto market. All that is according to Cox Automotive, who said sales of conventional cars and trucks declined 15 percent during the first nine months of this year compared to last year. Cox said buyers of electric cars tended to be both younger, and women. In that same period, the total market share of electric car sales jumped to 5.6 percent to 2.9 percent. And electric vehicles are also popular beyond California, home to early adopters.

 * ... DOG IN PAIN? GIVE HIM A CBD BISCUIT: More Americans than ever are turning to CBD products to calms their nervous dogs. A recent survey of 409 dog owners, by the Center for Canine Behavior Studies, showed that over half the owners had given their dogs CBD treats to soothe their pets. Still, there are no studies that conclude how effective these treatments have been, but apparently most dog owners are convinced CBD biscuits do work.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "There are over 8 billion people in the world now and you're still single."

 * ... BAD DRIVERS: Here's a new study on California drivers that may not surprise you. According to a study by Lending Tree, California drivers rank as some of the worst in the nation and the worst of them are in two cities: Bakersfield ranked No. 1 and Sacramento No. 2. They were among eight California cities that made it into the top 10 list, including Richmond at No. 9, Riverside at No. 8, Fresno at No. 5 and San Diego No. 6. San Francisco weighed it at No. 5 and Los Angeles at No. 4. The best drivers, the driver said, were in Louisville, Ky., which landed at No. 1.

 * ... SPOTTED AT NUESTRO MEXICO: Apparently famous Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was in Bakersfield recently and he ate at Nuestro Mexico, which has been highlighted in the southern California media for its authentic cuisine. The director posted this on Instagram saying he stopped in Bakersfield "for some sweet molten cheese w chorizo!!"

 * ... MEMORIES: Compliments of the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page comes this picture of old downtown at 19th and Chester facing east in 1938. In the second shot, the Bakersfield History Fans page offers a promotion for Zippy the Clown.

Early election results have Rep. David Valadao hanging on against Rudy Salas, the county sales tax increase is leading and remembering the old Blackboard Cafe and the day Hells Angels road into town and visited the honky tonk

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.

 * ... LOCAL ELECTIONS: It is much too early to call many of our local elections but here are a few conclusions, hopefully not submitted too prematurely:

 * Just 13 percent of Kern County's eligible voters cast ballots, another anemic showing in what could be argued was a terribly important election.

 * After months of his ads dominating the airways, it looks like Rep. David Valadao has jumped to an

impressive lead over challenger Rudy Salas. No doubt Valadao can thank his colleague, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, for the money that flowed into his campaign as McCarthy sought to collect enough GOP victories to become Speaker of the House. With so many outstanding ballots to count, it's too early to call this race.

 * Taft doctor Jasmeet Bains has a significant and possibly insurmountable lead over Supervisor Leticia Perez in the 35th Assembly race. Bains was aided by significant media buys on her behalf in the last month of the campaign.

 * If Measure K passes you can thanks a very smart and well executed pro-K campaign by county CAO Ryan Alsop, Sheriff Donny Youngblood and District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. The trio went on a public road show the past month to push for the tax, which would raise the sales tax in the unincorporated area to pay for vital services

 * ... BLACKBOARD CAFE: The Blackboard Cafe, a honky tonk that thrived in the rollicking days of the Bakersfield Sound and was frequented by all the great singers of the day, is long gone but fondly remembered. It originally stood on Chester Avenue just north of the Garces Circle near 34th Street (3601 Chester Avenue), but is now just a memory. Yet now comes word that an original clock that adorned the club has been donated to the Kern County Museum. Thanks to a story in BeLocal, a relatively new city magazine that is a sister publication to Stroll magazine (formerly known as Westchester mag), I learned the clock was donated and will be on display somewhere at the museum. Here's a picture of the clock along with some classic old photos showing Hells Angels at the Blackboard back in the 1960s. (Photos of the Hells Angels by Bill Ray)

 * ... SEXUAL PREDATORS: There's little doubt that sexual predators live among us - neighbors, coaches, priests, confidents, relatives, teachers - and many go unpunished because the public simply refuses to believe the allegations, or statues of limitations have expired. And that is precisely the theme of a new book by Jeff Pickering entitled "Better at the Broken Places" that recounts his own assault at the hands of a family doctor when he was a teenager living in Florida. Pickering, who spent years as head of the Kern Community Foundation, penned the book after suppressing his own assault for years and finding out years later that the doctor was still practicing in Florida. The book tells Pickering's painful personal story and how - like many victims - he suppressed the memory for years as his attacker continued to practice without consequence. The book is available on Amazon. As an added note, former Bakersfield Californian chief graphic artist Glenn Hannmett did the cover for Pickering's book.

 * ... COMEDY FOR VETERANS: If you are in the mood to help local veterans while enjoying some standup comedy on Veteran's Day, check out a special comedy club benefit set for this Friday. Sponsored by Comrades and Canopies, a group that treats veterans to skydiving in Taft, the show will feature headliner Ellis Rodriguez with Jeremiah Nation, Sam Ridley, Greg "G" Williams and Patrick Rabin. Doors  at The Well comedy club open at 6:30 at 7401 White Lane.

 * ... MEMORIES: More on the Blackboard, that famous country bar of the Bakersfield Sound era. This post from Kern County History Fans reminds us of the place that was the place for musicians to meet.

 * ... DUSTBOWL: And finally, I am sharing these remarkable pictures from the Dust Bowl, all shot in Kern County, that appear courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. Enjoy.

Bakersfield braces for a cold winter of crime and vandalism, a fed-up Portland finally moves to oust the homeless and celebrating 100,000 spay neuters by the non profit Critters Without Litters

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.

 * ... WINTER IS COMING: Winter is coming and with it the expected spike in seasonal crime. It's hard to think of petty crime getting any worse here, and for the most part residents - and of course the politicians who are supposed to do something about all this  - have learned to live with an ugly new reality of life in Bakersfield. You'd think there would be more of an urgency to clean the streets, but with a few rare exceptions (supervisor candidate Jeff Flores among them) most local elected officials just choose to ignore it. Cars are broken into nightly in the best of

neighborhoods, catalytic converters disappear in broad daylight, park restrooms have been taken over by drug addicts, empty buildings burn with frightening regularity as the number of mentally ill homeless on the streets seems to grow by the day. A businesswoman comes back from cancer treatment to find her downtown office broken into and a mess. A new business owner, proud of what she has built, finds two windows shattered during the night. A third person, an employee of a business on Stockdale Highway, reports to work one day to fire a fire smoldering in a dumpster. So what can we do? Not much it seems, but if you are a homeowner never leave anything in your car or truck, leave your outside porch lights on, install a security camera, consult with neighbors and when it is time to vote, kick out any public official who minimizes what has come of our community. (random photos around town)

 * ... PORTLAND RESPONDS: Want to know how bad the homeless issue has become? Even in Portland, home to a mindset that has allowed homeless encampments to flourish, city officials appear to have had enough. This week city crews moved into a major homeless encampment at Laurelhurst Park, located in a high income neighborhood, and cleaned the place out. As they cleared the camps bulldozers moved in and built multiple pickleball courts and a skate ramp. (file photo of Laurelhurst Park)

 * ... ENFORCEMENT WORKS: Most people involved in the homeless issue focus on providing permanent housing as the answer, yet that does little or nothing for the business people and residents who are subjected to the general craziness and lawlessness that vagrants bring. But enforcement (keeping vagrants on the move) does work, just like we saw in Portland, Just take a look at the Smart and Final parking lot on F Street, one of the city's longtime gritty venues for the homeless to gather. After a rash of vandalism, the homeless were moved out several weeks ago and - for now at least - the problem is gone. 

* ... CRITTERS WITHOUT LITTERS: Critters Without Litters is the only low cost, spay neuter non profit in Bakersfield devoted to dealing with our pet explosion problem. And now, just a few weeks from the organization's 10th anniversary, it reached a new milestone: Critters has now spayed or neutered 100,000 pets. "It's a mind boggling number," said Vicky Thrasher, executive director. "I still remember our first few weeks when we wondered how we'd ever get up to 20 surgeries a day." Critters routinely provides 70 to 80 spay/neuter surgeries a day for pets and feral or free roaming cats in the community, four days a week. They also offer a walk in vaccine clinic Monday through Thursday where anywhere from 120 to 180 animals arrive each day for vaccines. Critters Without Litters is located off White Lane on Stine Road. For more information go to www.critterswithoutlitters.org. (photos courtesy or Critters Without Litters)

 * ... SODA CRACKERS: One of the hottest local bands around, The Soda Crackers, is returning to the Kern County Museum for a special show on Sunday, Nov. 13. The band features brothers Zane and Cooper Adamo (sons of photographer Felix Adamo and author wife Teresa) and their bandmates to create a Western swing sound closely associated with the Bakersfield Sound. Tickets normally sell out so order them at https://www.eventbrite.com/.../the-soda-crackers-present...(photos by Felix Adamo)

 * .... MEMORIES: It's easy to forget how big Buck Owens was in his prime, particularly among Asian crowds who embraced his Bakersfield Sound. This picture says it all, compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. The caption: "Buck Owens in mid 1970's on tour in Sydney, Australia. His manager on left is Jack McFadden, and on the right is Banjo player Ronnie Jackson. This was a month long tour in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Sold-out shows wherever they appeared."

Kevin McCarthy squares off with Marissa Wood in a debate, Church Militant raps Brian Smith for being endorsed by the accused "homo predator" priest Craig Harrison and local business icon Dave Urner passes away

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.

 * ... MCCARTHY DEBATE: Did you catch the televised debate between Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Democratic challenger Marissa Wood? It was a doozy with Wood laying into McCarthy for his embrace of Donald Trump and McCarthy deftly deflecting the criticism. The debate won't change the outcome of the

election - smart money is on KMAC  - but the point is it was held, both candidates showed up and viewers were entertained with a lively exchange of barbs. Say what you will about McCarthy but he did show up, took the insults and honored his commitment to the voters. And don't forget the folks at KGET and anchors Jim Scott and Alexan Balkian of Fresno who provided a public service by sponsoring the debate and asking the tough questions. 

 * ... CRAIG HARRISON: A national organization devoted to tracking and exposing priests accused of sexually molesting young men has criticized 3rd District supervisor candidate Brian Smith for his association with former monsignor Craig Harrison. In a video produced by the organization Church Militant, anchor Christine Niles leads the broadcast saying "a politician is happy to be endorsed by accused homo-predator priest" Craig Harrison. Smith, Niles said, had benefited from an event "hosted by notorious ex monsignor Craig Harrison" at Harrison's downtown Bakersfield home. Harrison left the church after it found he had been "credibly" accused by seven young male men. No charges have been filed  because the statute of limitations has expired, and Harrison has been busy trying to rebuild his life as a spiritual guide of sorts. The video from Church Militant, which Harrison unsuccessfully sued for defamation, is a reminder that this case is not over and Harrison's critics in the abuse community are not likely to be silenced. Harrison faces multiple civil lawsuits from alleged victims which are all headed to trial.

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 * ... THE EXPERIMENT IS OVER: Remember when the city installed new diagonal parking on 18th Street and added the confusing requirement that people back into the spaces because it was apparently safer? While the city thought it was a swell idea, nobody else did. So now the city has left the diagonal parking in place but removed the objectionable requirement that people back into the space. Chalk this one up as yet another nutty idea sponsored by people who would be better served figuring out how to crack down on crime and vagrants. 

 * ... ARVIN BULLYING: The family of a special needs boy who was bullied at Arvin High School, videotaped as a group of boys cut his hair, has hired one of Bakersfield's premier plaintiff's lawyers to take his case. Daniel Rodriguez of Rodriguez and Associates said he is planning a lawsuit to hold responsible those who failed to protect the boy. "The bullying happened right under the nose, right in front of the security guard," Rodriguez said.  "What excuse do they have?"

* ... RIP DAVE URNER: A man whose name is synonymous with Bakersfield business - Dave Urner - has passed away at the age of 92. It was Urner who helped position Urner's as the premier appliance store in town, a place where service came with a golden glove and the selection of washers, dryers, dish washers and refrigerators seemed endless. At one time, Urners held a chokehold on the local market and if you were in the market for an appliance, you inevitably ended up at Urner's. Urner was a 1948 graduate of Bakersfield High School and he worked for Urner’s for 70 years, serving as its president from 1980 to 2019.  Services are set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery. 

 * ... MEMORIES: A couple of old pictures, compliments of the Kern County History Fans, that speak to our collective past.