The daily struggle of some businesses against crime and vagrancy, Pyrenees Cafe promotes its breakfast fare and catch up with the Greens and a place called Yoga Culture

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.

 * ... THE WOES OF WARD 2: If you think it's tough running a business these days, try doing it downtown where homelessness, vagrancy, crime, graffiti and trash are among the costs of doing business. Is it better since the city has thrown millions into building homeless centers and and hiring contractors to pick up

trash and patrol the streets? Yes, but the sad truth is it is still a mess and no amount of lipstick can make it look better. Just ask the owners of Blue Oak Coffee Roasting downtown who have been broken into twice this week - back to back days. Or ask the residents downtown who call 911 when vagrants are pounding on doors at 3 a.m. only to be told no officer is available. Or try keeping up with the number of vacant buildings that have burned to the ground because of vagrants? The twin issues of crime and homelessness seem to be beyond our control, and yet Ward 2 City Councilman Andrae Gonzales continues to push the idea of pumping millions into the old Southern Pacific Depot on Baker Street, which unfortunately is near the Ground Zero of lost causes in Bakersfield. So is Andrae a visionary or just loose with someone else's money? Time will tell, and if a private investor wants to plow the money into the Depot, have at it. But let's stabilize life in Ward 2 before we dump tax dollars into a potential bad investment. Just take a look at the old Noriega's storefront to see how time can be cruel for businesses near Baker Street.

 * ... BREAKFAST IN BAKO: So where is the best breakfast in Bakersfield? The 24th Street Cafe? Arizona Cafe? Both terrific iconic businesses, but what about the Pyrenees Cafe, a place more well known for its stiff drinks, live music and classic Basque lunch and dinner entrees? Pyrenees owners Rod and Julie Crawford are rightfully proud of their breakfast menu and have taken to advertising it on billboards around town.

 * ... STRAY DOGS: This Facebook post from the Bakersfield SPCA says it all about this adorable pup seen here: "When will it ever end?? A Good Samaritan just brought in this little abandoned puppy they found out all alone. This is happening way too much all around town. The little girl is only about 4 weeks old. We have her now safely tucked away in her bed in the nursery where she will be taken care of for about another month before she is old enough to be put up for adoption. I know the City and County shelters see this daily as well. STOP the breeding, Spay/Neuter your pets!"

 * ... YOGA CULTURE: Some people are just born entrepreneurs, blessed with a vision of their community and surroundings that sees only possibilities. Two such creatures are Ryan and Natalie Green, publishers of a downtown magazine called Stroll, an affirmational look our town and the world that focuses on what is right in the world, not wrong. And now the Greens have announced they are working on their own yoga study on 18th Street called Yoga Culture. Stay tuned for the opening and what the Greens have in store next.

 * ... MEMORIES: And while we are speaking of the old depot, I turned to the Facebook group Kern County History Fans to find a marvelous old photo or two of the depot back in its heyday.

The energy sector reacts with disappointment to the president's State of the Union address, water trickles back into the Kern River and all the hoopla over gender identity at the Kern High School District

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.

 * ... WATER IN THE RIVER: Don't look now but there is water back in the Kern River, albeit not much but at least there is something and that's worth celebrating. Because no matter who you are, the

overwhelming percentage of Bakersfield residents say water in the river is a much coveted quality of life issue, and when it's gone - well it's just plain ugly.  And so the legal tug of wars continue over who owns the water in the river, and those of us who live and pay taxes here are left wondering when it will be public's turn to enjoy the sight of water in our river year round.

 * ... CHAD HATHAWAY: Local oil executive Chad Hathaway got a front row seat at this week's State of the Union as the invited guest of GOP  Congressman David Valadao. Hathaway, a plain speaking oilman who company has survived the erratic ups and downs of the energy market, returned frustrated that President Biden seems blind to the contributions - both big and small - of fossil fuels.

 * ... CHAMBER TRANSITION: A major transition is under way at the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce where CEO and president Nick Ortiz announced he is leaving to become vice president of local chamber relations at CalChamber and president and CEO of the business group's main training program, the Western Association of Chamber Executives. In the interim and while a nationwide search is conducted, Hilliary Haenes will replace him. Haenes is currently vice president of member engagement. Ortiz has presided over the Chamber for almost eight years and his departure is a big loss for Kern, but Haenes is experienced and talented and the transition should be a seamless one.

* ... RIP JOHN MOORHOUSE: John Moorhouse, a local insurance agent who was part of the family that owned The Bakersfield Californian, has died. He was 82. Moorhouse was married to Ginger Moorhouse, whose family owned The Bakersfield Californian for years before selling it a few years ago. He served on the company's Board of Directors until the paper was sold and he also served time as president of the Tree Foundation of Kern, as well as being a member of the downtown Bakersfield Rotary Club. Moorhouse was originally from New Hampshire and moved west to Bakersfield in 1994 when Ginger Moorhouse returned to California to run the family business.

 * ... LOU ANN DURRETT: A familiar name over at Garces Memorial High, Lou Ann Durrett, is leaving her job on the school leadership team to become executive director of the Bakersfield Catholic Education Foundation (BCEF). The foundation was previously known as the Garces Memorial High School Foundation, established in 1989 to benefit Garces.

 * ... WHAT'S HOT: The hottest ticket in town is a seat to watch the Kern High School District Board in action, and boy was there action this week. The topic: a Kern high school teacher who told The New York Times that her job is to "protect kids" and part of doing so is giving them advice on gender identity. As you can image dozens of Bible toting residents appeared demanding the Del Oro High teacher (Olivia Garrison) be fired. In addition the senior pastor of the Rock Harbor Church, Brandon Holthaus, called Garrison's remarks an affront to parental authority. For its part, school board president Bryan Batey assured the crowd that the school board believed that parents, not teachers, are the best people to counsel children.

 * ... MEMORIES: Here are a couple of wonderful old historic photos, featured on the Facebook page called Kern County History Fans, to enjoy today. The first shows the Bakersfield Fire Ladder Wagon at 20th and "K" Streets in 1911 just outside of Fire Station number 1.

A former cop outlines a culture of corruption, silence and doing "whatever it takes" to get a conviction in the Bakersfield Police Department, Gov. Newsom calls Bako the murder capital" of California and Traco Matthews gets his own church

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.

 * ... POLICE CORRUPTION? A disgraced ex cop has leveled a series of accusations against the Bakersfield Police Department, claiming a culture of corruption in the early 2000s led officers and officers to lie, cover up and "do anything" to make a case stick. The charges came from Demacio Diaz in a

remarkable interview with KGET this week, and even if you consider that Diaz's own credibility has been called into question, his charges about a culture of corruption at BPD are troubling. Diaz was convicted and sentenced for his role in stealing drugs from the police evidence room, and has been linked to a 2013 shooting in which a police informant was killed in the Four Points Sheraton parking lot. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Diaz told KGET the culture at the department was to "get the  case closed by ant means possible." What that meant, he warned, was "your own business." Now retired Greg Williamson was chief at the time and did not comment for the KGET story.

 * ... BLAME GAME: Here's a question for those of you who live in Bakersfield and Kern County: do you feel as if you are living in the murder capital of California? That's exactly how Gov. Gavin Newsom refers to Kern County as he trades political barbs with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his 23rd Congressional District. Newsom was asked if he had spoken to McCarthy since the mass shootings in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, and he dismissed that notion and added this: “Of course, he represents the murder capital of California,” Newsom said of McCarthy.

 * ... HAGGIN OAKS: When crime spikes in times like these, there are few neighborhoods that are immune from its poison. So it wasn't really a surprise when we learned that an elderly woman in Haggin Oaks suffered a home invasion robbery recently. But in Haggin Oaks? Police said several young men ransacked her home and made off with money and jewelry, temporarily turned the quiet neighborhood into a crime scene. When it happens in Haggin Oaks, you know it is happening just about everywhere.

* ... TRACO MATTHEWS: Congratulations to Traco Matthews who has just been installed as the new pastor of the Church of God Bakersfield. Matthews, a CSUB graduate and among a group of young leaders emerging in Kern County, will preside over the church along with First Lady Jessica Mathews, his equally accomplished wife. Previously Matthews worked for Area Energy, the Kern Superintendent of Schools, Community Action Partnership and State Farm. He currently serves as chief health equity officer at Kern Health.

 * ... WHAT A VIEW:  Check out this lovely drone photo of the hills of Kern County taken by German Cervera. And we wonder why cyclists love to traverse this county on two wheels.

 * ... MEMORIES: Two more great historical photos of some familiar streets posted by the folks over at Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

A new documentary takes aim at Kern County and depicts cops out of control, we pass the anniversary of the famous "snow day" and improvements to Hart Park help make it shine

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.

 * ... KILLING COUNTY: If you haven't already heard of "Killing County," a new Hulu documentary depicting Kern County as a violent place where police are out of control, you will soon. The documentary reviews a series of officer involved shootings that put Bakersfield in the spotlight several years ago. And yet, the piece has already come under harsh criticism for small but important things like confusing the

Bakersfield police department with the Kern County Sheriff's Department and putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of Sheriff Donny Youngblood. And to top it off, the documentary is introduced by controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kapernick. So is Killing County yet another hit job or does it reflect a reality we don't want to accept? View it yourself and draw your own ... conclusions. https://youtu.be/NEC1_fV6wgo

 * ... EXERCISES FOR LIFE: If hitting the gym is not for you, you might want to consider a few simple exercises that can be done right at home without equipment, and experts say it may just be about all you need. Using just your body weight, experts say a simple routine of squats, lunges and a few exercises on a yoga matt to strengthen your spine and back may be all you need. It's a workout that focuses on mobility and overall core strength. "Your spine is the center of your torso, the hip is what connects your legs to torso, and the shoulder is what connects your arms to your torso," said Jessica Valiant,  physical therapist in Denver. "These are the main areas that you use to reach and lift and pull. If you can work to keep those mobile, you are going to help yourself with 90 percent of the activities that you do every day."

 * ... SNOW DAY: Can you believe it's been 24 years since the famous "snow day" in Bakersfield. Yep, it was this time in 1999 when Bakersfield awoke to an amazing snowfall, grinding the town to a stall as kids enjoyed a rare day in Kern County. Here are a few pictures taken from that day including a couple famous ones by Californian photographer Henry Barrios and KGET.

 * ... HART PARK: Hart Park shines this time of year and the trail hikes above the KCSO shooting range have been full of people enjoying the child and fresh air. And the park, thanks in part of county CAO Ryan Alsop, has never looked better. A relatively new bathroom at the base of the trail near the shooting range is a huge hit, as is the new parking lot and other amenities.

 * ... RIP MICHELE BUONI: Bakersfield lost an angel recently when Michele Buoni died after a short but tragic battle with gastric cancer. A service was held at St. Francis this week in honor of her life. A bright light gifted with a wide smile that she brought to her tennis group almost every day at Bakersfield Racquet Club, Michele was married to her high school sweetheart Mario for 39 years. Her obituary ended with this: "In lieu of flowers, Michele's memory may be honored with a donation to the Bakersfield Racquet Club for the dedication of a court in her name, 1660 Pine Street, Bakersfield CA 93301. If we are lucky, and in the right place at the right time, someone amazing can fall into our lives. For many, Michele was that extraordinary person. "

 * ... MEMORIES: The old Hotel Lebec once graced the old Ridge Route road before the completion of Interstate 5 to Los Angeles, and in its day it played host to Hollywood celebrities, politicians and well-to-do travelers looking for a place to rest after a long journey. Here is a wonderful picture of the place, thanks to John Kelley and the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page. Steven Humphrey, a local historian, added the picture of the vacant property to show us where the Lebec once stood.

The man responsible for the success of the VW Beetle dies, California winter heating bills skyrocket with the price of natural gas, San Jose requires gun liability insurance and a Harvard study finds warm friendships may be the secret to happiness

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.

 * ... RIP CARL HAHN: If you ever owned a Volkswagen Beetle, and if you are of a certain age chances are you did, you owe a nod of gratitude to Carl Hahn, the German marketing whiz who as CEO oversaw an

explosive grow of the German "people's car" in the United States. With Hahn as CEO, and behind a clever advertising campaign that emphasized the Beetle's small size and practicality, sales of the VW Beetle rose to a peak of 423,000 in 1968. Hahn died this week at the age of 96. This bit of counter marketing, emphasizing smallness and practicality in a market dominated by Detroit muscle cars, proved a master stroke for sales of the Beetle.

 * ... WINTER HEATING BILLS: Have your heating bills skyrocketed this year? If you're in California, there is aa reason for that. Experts are pointing to uncertainty over when a new pipeline will reopen to deliver relief to customers who are experiencing sticker shock. Heating bills in Bakersfield, depending on the size of the home, have jumped to $400-$500 a month in many cases, and more is on the way.  San Diego Gas and Electric, owned by Sempra, said typical residential gas bills averaged $120 higher in January alone. The Wall Street Journal noted that natural gas production in California is about half of what it was a decade ago.

 * ... GUN INSURANCE: The first mandatory gun insurance law has taken the books in San Jose, and gun owners are already finding a way around it. On Jan. 1 a new law went into effect mandating that gun owners have insurance covering costs related to accidental gunshot injuries or death. Some gun owners are simply placing their weapons elsewhere, outside the city, or joining new legal challenges to the new law.

 * ... LIFELONG FULFILLMENT: At some point in life we will all ask ourselves this: what is the real secret of a full life? Well according to an 85-year study by Harvard, personal connections are the most important factor in long-term health and happiness. Said The Wall Street Journal: "Contrary to what many people might think, it's not career achievement, or exercise or a healthy diet. Don't get us wrong; these things matter. But one thing continuously demonstrates its broad and enduring importance: good relationships.... Good relationships keep us healthier and happier. Period. If you want to make one decision to ensure your own health and happiness, it should be to cultivate warm relationships of all kinds."

 * ... MEMORIES: A couple of important old historical pictures from the Kern County of Old Facebook page, a treasure trove of historical photos. The first one shows Merle Haggard at his local office an the second a wonderful old photo of the Kern County Union High School.

Despite California's war on fossil fuels, petroleum and natural gas production is surging, Mother Nature's post storm beauty and In-N-Out heads east to Tennessee

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.

 * ... FOSSIL FUELS: If you live in California, you are subjected to the loud, chaotic drumbeat of a message that views fossil fuels - oil, natural gas - as the enemy. But what happens when the wokeness of official state policy meets reality? That answer is here and it won't please those who are hellbent to destroy the fossil fuel industry. Said the Wall Street Journal: "Thanks to a mix of events, from the Russian

invasion of Ukraine to the U.S. economic recovery, fossil fuels are showing surprising resilience, despite President Biden's push to transition to clean energy and the industry's own history of boom-bust investing and heavy reliance on debt. So here's the truth: U.S. production of natural gas is near an all time high and crude oil production are at 2019 levels and prices have spiked, particularly in California.

 * ... RAINSTORMS: The storms and rain that pummeled Kern County produced some wonderful images. Enjoy these shots and thanks to all the contributors like Pam Taylor, Rusty Burchfield, Melissa Dignan, 

* .... MACYS: It's a wonder how any retailer in men's or women's clothing stays alive these days, so it should come as no surprise that Macy’s will be closing more stores in 2023, including a big one in Los Angeles. Among the four stores set for closing is the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza outlet, along with stores in Fort Collins, Gaithersburg, Md., and Hawaii. Meanwhile, struggling retailer Bed, Bath and Beyond is flirting with bankruptcy and also announced it is closing more than 140 stores nationwide, including many in California, but the Bakersfield store is not on the list and survives, at least for now.

* ... KMAC: After Kevin McCarthy became Speaker of the House, just about everyone from Bakersfield posted a picture on social media of them with McCarthy. But few reflected the utter joy of accomplishment better than this picture of McCarthy's family posted by the Speaker himself.

 * ... DOWNTOWN CRIME: If you have a business downtown and you finally said 

"enough!" and moved to Seven Oaks, no one would blame you. Even the most loyal downtown advocates have been pushed to the limit, enduring countless indignities to vandalism, break-ins and run-in with vagrants destroying local property. Local accountant Andrea Rutherford-Hill knows the feeling too well after her downtown offices were vandalized twice, as witnessed by these pictures here. And so it goes.

 * ... LIBERTY HIGH: You have to love this collage produced by the Kern High School District to recognize the Liberty Patriots and their first division 1A state championship. Liberty beat Pittsburg in the state championship game 48 to 20.

 * ...  IN-N-OUT BURGER GOES SOUTH: It looks like In-N-Out Burger is moving east and plans to set up shop in Tennessee. It's the farthest east the company has ever ventured.  In-N-Out owner and president Lynsi Snyder – who is also the only granddaughter of founders Harry and Esther Snyder – said the company was eager to expand into Tennessee.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo of the Fox Theater back in its day, compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. And the last picture - from the Kern County History Fans - shows the then and now corner of Union Avenue.