Kern crude oil trading higher than the sweet Texas blend, NBC sends a crew to Kern County and paints an unflattering portrait and Bako gets a new burger franchise

Friday, February 2, 2018


Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... KERN CRUDE: Back in the day, I believed that the heavy Kern Crude petroleum produced here was worth less than the oil produced in west Texas because it cost more to get it out of the ground. I was wrong, as I learned from Chad Hathaway the other day when he

appeared on my radio show (KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM). Because most of our oil stays in California (there are no pipelines bringing oil from other states into the state) Hathaway said the two types of petroleum produced here - Midway Sunset and Buena Vista Light - are routinely priced higher than the West Texas Intermediate. For the first time in four years, Hathaway is optimistic that the price of oil seems to be stabilizing around $65 to $70 a barrel. Hathaway in the president of Hathaway Oil.

 * ... THANKS NBC: Did you see the new video about Bakersfield that is floating around the internet? It is produced by a new organization called NBC Left Field, which is an attempt by NBC to attract younger readers via videos on social media. I cannot think of a more unflattering portrayal of Kern County. NBC Left Field uses former talk show host Inga Barks to explain our city (a dubious choice itself) and its bleak, unflattering video of our community makes me wonder if this was simply yet another hit piece from the start. And on its teaser logo: a Latino man holding a gun. Really? But you be the judge.

  * ... BURGER WARS: Bakersfield is getting another burger franchise, this one specializing in mini, slider-type custom burgers and variations of french fries and onion rings. Burgerim, which has dozens of outlets in 15 states, plans to open two locations in the southwest (Gosford and Stockdale Highway) and one in the east (Mt. Vernon.) The company has 20 locations in California.

 * ... BAD FORM: So did you hear about the high school student who showed up at the East High Winter Formal with a six-inch switch blade in his pocket? It was discovered during a routine pat down but what wasn't routine was his response when he was told he and his parents had signed an agreement not to bring guns or knives to the dance. His response: "My father told to bring in." The student in question attends Centennial High and his date East High.

* ... CHARLIE MANSON: By the way, did you catch the KGET TV report on the man who claims to be Charlie Manson's grandson who wants to claim his body? Check out his picture here (courtesy of KGET) that had this caption: "Jason Freeman claims to be Charles Manson’s grandson and is seeking control of Manson’s remains. He says his grandpa was a 'kind and giving person.'" Kind and giving? Tell that to Sharon Tate's family.

  

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My personal trainer at the gym told me I need to start working on my upper body strength. I told him to just open the damn pickles and STFU."

 * ... GOOD FORM: Did you know that a North High graduate named Suzanne Filkins is the associate producer of the critically acclaimed film "Call Me by Your Name"? That's the word from reader Teri Filkins who said her sister in law, Suzanne, was involved in the movie that has been nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Susanne is the daughter of Dr. Mylon and Mrs. Pat Filkins.

* ... OLD PHOTO: This photo was found in an old home on 19th Street downtown while a friend was moving out. Do you recognize the people in picture?

 * ... OOPS: And then there was this sign ....

If you are white and you enjoy yoga are you racist? CSUB focuses on the Dust Bowl and the Bakersfield Sound and remembering Mark Abernathy and his impact on local politics

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... RACIST YOGA: Next time you grab your mat and head downtown for a little yoga, check your racism at the door. That's right, a Michigan State professor says white people who practice the downward facing dog are contributing to a "system of power, privilege and oppression." The

professor, Shreena Gandhi, accused white people of inappropriately appropriating the culture of "recent immigrants, such as Indian women to whom this practice rightfully belongs." If this sounds nutty, well it is. It's yet another example of the tribalism of America where everyone has a beef and the world is divided by race, ethnic background, gender, political affiliation, geography, hair color and now, their exercise routine. In this case, Gandhi coauthored a piece with Lilli Wolff, a "self described anti racist white Jewish organizer, facilitator an d healer" who has called for "decolonizing yoga." Or whatever the hell that means. If this weren't so serious, it would be funny.

 
 * ... ACLU: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which this week announced a lawsuit against the Bakersfield Police Department for allegedly jailing an African-American man for refusing to answer an officer's "invasive" questions, is opening its first Central Valley office here in Bakersfield. No word on exactly where the ACLU will be located or what month it will open.

* ... PUBLIC HISTORY INSTITUTE: Did you know that Cal State Bakersfield has a Public History Institute focused on preserving, chronicling and sharing with the public our rich local history? History professor Miriam Vivian told me the institute has reams of digital files on local topics of interest including the Dust Bowl, the Bakersfield Sound, oral histories and the experience of African-Americans in Kern County.

 * ... MARK ABERNATHY: If you doubt the influence of the late Republican political consultant Mark Abernathy, consider this: over his long career he helped manage the campaigns of almost 350 candidates, and he left this world with a 97 percent victory rate. That is astonishing by any standards, and it is why so many Republican candidates in Kern County sought out Abernathy and his firm Western Pacific Research. His surviving wife, Cathy Abernathy, is no slouch herself, having served as chief of staff for former Congressman Bill Thomas for more than 20 years.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If anyone ever tells you your dreams are silly, remember there’s some millionaire walking around who invented the Pool Noodle."

 * ... BAD FORM: So what is the protocol when it comes to riding a horse on a pedestrian path? Some folks who walk the Panorama Bluffs are asking after encountering horse manure - a lot of it - on Monday morning. And speaking of poo, check out this picture I found on Facebook the other day...

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this photo I found on Facebook. Its caption: "In the 196's, The Leland Four performed at Arvin High School. My understanding, they performed serval times after that at AHS. This photo is the Leland Four performing at the AHS Christmas Formal the Band Members are Lee, Spud, Rick, and Pineapple."

Influential political consultant Mark Abernathy dies, Santa Carota beef to appear in Eureka burger locations and theft during a yoga class?

Monday, January 29, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... ABERNATHY: I was sad to learn of the passing of Mark Abernathy, a local Republican

political consultant and strategist who left his mark on Kern County politics. News of his death was posted on Facebook by his daughter Maggie who said only that Abernathy died after a short illness. Abernathy was a sometime polarizing figure in local politics because of the enormous power he held to wage bare knuckled campaigns. Always a determined and fierce competitor, he devoted his life to making sure Kern County stayed true to its conservative roots. His company, Western Pacific Research, helped Karen Goh defeat Kyle Carter in the Bakersfield mayor's race and he also ran Bruce Freeman's successful campaign for the city council. In addition, he ran Supervisor Zack Scrivner's campaign as well as former supervisors Roy Ashburn and Ken Peterson.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I want to find someone who looks at me the way my dog looks at cheeseballs."

 * ... SANTA CAROTA BEEF: Good news for the local ranching family that produces the carrot fed Santa Carota beef: the Eureka! burger restaurant chain will start serving a Santa Carota burger at four locations next month. In addition to the Bakersfield location, the locally produced burger will be available in Hawthorne, San Diego and at the new Eureka! location in Las Vegas. Local ranchers Justin and Corinne Pettit said the beef, high in vitamin B12 and leaner than a normal burger, is also being sold at KC Steakhouse, Temblor Brewing Co., Luigi's and Wood-Dale Market.

 * ... HOT YOGA: This may mark a new low when it comes to criminals. Last Sunday at the downtown yoga studio Inner Body Works, someone snuck into the studio while a class was in session and rifled through the purses and jackets stored in the studio cabbie holes. Cash was taken from the register and some wallets and phones were taken.

 * ... GOOD FORM: When you finally give up on your big bank that treats you like a faceless pest, head over to Mission Bank for some old school, friendly customer service. I did, and it was the best move I have made in a long time.

 * ... BAD FORM: Spotted on Facebook: "Another lesson learned in not keeping your garage door opener in your truck. Bastards got into the truck then into the garage, luckily only grabbed a couple things. If anyone sees a Dewalt drill with extra battery, charger and a case of Craftsman tools come up for sale let me know. Happened in San Lauren neighborhood off Hageman and Knudsen."

 * ... HISTORY: Spotted this historic photo on the Kern County of Old Facebook page, with this entry: "The New China Cafe at 18th and Q, as seen in this 1929 shot, was built of specially fired colored bricks in 1928. It was badly damaged in the 52 quake and was reinforced and rebuilt with Flemish Bond bricks. Today it houses the Jasmine Nyree Care Center."

 * ... MORE HISTORY: These two pictures were also posted on the same Facebook page. Enjoy.

More charges of political intrigue in the local pot debate, the Washington Post looks into Kevin O's Deli and both Inga Barks and Jaz McKay are out at KNZR radio

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com. 

* ... CALIFORNIA POLITICS: California has some of the highest utility rates in the nation, so why are we selling excess power to neighboring states for less than we charge state residents? That's right, this is one of those 'only in California' stories that will drive you nuts. Over the past 20 years,

the number of power plants and green energy farms fueled by cheap natural gas and renewable energy in California have soared, bringing the state a windfall in excess capacity power. But instead of lowering our rates - what a concept - California has instead chosen to sell the excess power to neighboring states at rates cheaper than they charge us who live here. Why? Because the environmental lobby, which rules the day in Sacramento, believes only higher rates will lead to reduced consumption to battle global warming. And the green lobby hates natural gas, even though it is cheap and much cleaner than coal, because it's a fossil fuel. And so it goes.

 * ... POT DEBATE: Just when you think the local debate over marijuana can't get any whackier, it does. At the Board of Supervisors meeting this week David Abbasi, president of the Central Valley Cannabis Association, unleashed a broadside against Supervisor Mike Maggard, accusing him of being part of a criminal conspiracy to design regulations to approve a limited number of dispensaries associated with his friends. It's a serious charge, perhaps a reckless one, in that Abbasi is accusing a sitting supervisor of criminal wrongdoing. "What I am putting on the record today is Maggard's connection to a notorious, criminal drug trafficking organization in the cannabis business," he said. "I asked for help from federal investigators to end the real 'fraud being foisted on Kern County' by Kim Schaefer, Jimmy Lee, Mike Maggard and their high powered dispensary owners that paid them in exchange for a monopoly on cannabis in Kern County. Abbasi argues that Maggard is favoring dispensaries under the loose organization Kern Citizens For Patient Rights, a group Schaefer works with as a consultant. (Schaefer also is a consultant on Maggard's reelection campaign). Maggard denies any such connection, as does Schaefer by the way. Stay tuned because this debate is just heating up.

 * ... KEVIN MCCARTHY: And check this out: it turns out the Washington Post is investigating Rep. Kevin McCarthy's background to fact check his personal story. And what is the big story the Post wants to expose? It is McCarthy's well known story of how he started a deli as a young man back in the 1980s. I spotted this on Californian food critic Pete Titll's Facebook page: "Yesterday's weirdness: contacted by a Washington Post fact checker who was trying to get the details on exactly what kind of business Congressman Kevin McCarthy operated back in 1986 when I reviewed Kevin O's Deli. He said someone had complained that McCarthy was exaggerating the scope of his operation, which he set up in a family yogurt shop while I believe he was studying at CSUB. Oddly, they attached a pdf of the review and I mentioned McCarthy by name as he took my order and waited on us. Not sure what they're going to do with it." I am not sure what the point here is; there are plenty of people (including Tittl) who remember with fondness the old Kevin O's Deli.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Everything can be taken as an insult. You've just got to want it."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "If you had to choose between eating tacos the rest of your life or being skinny, would you choose hard or soft tacos?"

 * ... INGA BARKS: There has been a total house cleaning at local talk show station KNZR, the Alpha Media owned local station. First, they cut ties with longtime radio host Inga Barks, and now comes word that afternoon host Jaz McKay has been fired because if his fondness for racist slurs, insults and vulgarities. Alpha Media is not talking but both Barks and McKay confirmed their dismissals on social media.

  * ... MAURY WILLS: If you were at Luigi's recently you may have spotted former Dodger great Maury Wills. The legendary Dodger shortstop and former manager was in town for the Taft College Triple Play dinner and was seen at Luigi's with Michael Bowers and Traco Mathews.

The politics of pot hits the mainstream and asking myself this question: Is the Women's March more about the "resistance" to the Trump administration and leftist causes or advancing women's issues?

Monday, January 22, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... POLITICS OF POT: Now that marijuana is legal in California and it has entered mainstream politics, keep an eye on the growing rift between the original local cannabis advocates and the big

moneyed interest coming from out of the area. One of our original pro cannabis groups, the Kern Citizens for Patient Rights, is seeking to distance itself from the out of area interests that have shown no qualms about playing hardball with local politicians. I found this Facebook post from Heather Epps, of the KCPR, interesting: "Kern Citizens for Patient Rights is the same small grassroots group that successfully blocked Kern County's ban on medicinal cannabis dispensaries in 2011.
KCPR quailfied our Medical Cannabis initiative and will be on the City of Bakersfield 2018 ballot.
I do NOT support Americans for Safe Neighborhoods they are #BIGMARIJUANA. I do NOT support the attacks on our local leaders. I do NOT support Los Angeles real estate investors writing our local laws...Now is the time for the cannabis community to come together...not attack each other and perpetuate violence. These attacks are fueled by greed and competition for local campaign funds."

 * ... WOMEN"S MARCH: The second annual Women's March was a big success here in Bakersfield and across the country, but let's be clear about one thing: these marches are less about empowering women than they are about repudiating the Trump administration and advancing the "resistance" movement. That said, there is plenty of good to come from it: the rally encourages our participation in our democracy, recognizes the importance of voting, shines a light on genuine women's issues and sets a good example for our children about how we all can - and should - pay attention and get involved in civic life. And there is also the bad: the Women's March has been hijacked by narrow political interest groups, from the unions to the farmworkers movements to climate change advocates to Democratic candidates. When SB 562 (the nurse's union push for universal health care in California) is a major topic, you know this is more about politics than anything else. A more accurate name might be the Women's Resistance Movement March."

 * ... OVERHEARD: A middle aged man is asked if his wife is participating in the Women's March in downtown Bakersfield. His response: "Only if it goes by Trader Joe's and Nordstrom Rack."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I was wrong. #Women'sMarch2018 was not a good place to meet broads."

 * ... CHAD GARCIA: It's not always easy to do the right thing, but when you have a strong moral compass, you know when to step forward. That was the case last week with Chad Garcia, a Army combat veteran who once worked as a producer for KNZR radio afternoon talk show host Jaz McKay. Garcia left the station after a falling out with McKay, who he describes as a crude bully prone to insults and racist comments. At the same time, Garcia was looking for his own show on the station so he was walking that fine line between insulting the station's star while lobbying for his own show. But when McKay posted a racist video of himself scanning the radio dial and hurling racist insults at the Spanish language stations, Garcia knew he had to do the right thing. So he posted McKay's own video on Facebook, called attention to it and shared it with hundreds of his followers. The blowback was instant and KNZR was flooded with calls demanding McKay be fired. McKay was not on the air Friday and we will see what happens. The larger point here is this: in a world where it is easy to try to get along, people with a strong moral compass like Chad Garcia do the right thing, even if it could hurt him in the long run.

* ... ABANDONED DOGS: Did you see the pictures of the two abandoned dogs who were found and treated at the Kern County Animal Services? They were both nearly unrecognizable because of years of long, matted hair that covered their body to the point you could barely see their heads eyes, paws and feet. Check out their pictures on Facebook. The staff spent hours cutting their fur and bringing them back to life. Hats off to those folks over at animal services.

Kern County politics may be the best spectator sport in town, turmoil at KNZR and remembering the time when Clark Gable visited Bakersfield

Friday, January 19th, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... MIKE MAGGARD: The race for 3rd District supervisor - Mike Maggard is seeking reelection - is starting to resemble a soap opera, full of intrigue, deceit, accusations and denial. The latest:

political activist T.J. Eposito says he has been behind the "Mad Mike" attack ads on the radio and social media. Esposito told me a super PAC was behind the ads, and he vows there is more to come. "A revolution is no picnic," he told me on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM. "It's going to be uncomfortable... dirty acting will be uncovered." As for Maggard, Esposito said "he hasn't seen nothing yet." Esposito is furious with Maggard because he voted against regulating marijuana and seemed to denigrate folks who rely on medicinal marijuana for their health. One thing seems clear: Esposito and his group are not going way, and this race will get uglier as the weeks and months pass.

 * ... SCRIVNER: Meanwhile another incumbent supervisor, Zack Scrivner, has picked up another opponent in high school teacher and LGBT activist Whitney Weddell. No word on if marijuana will be front and center of that campaign, even though Scrivner voted with Maggard not to allow its sale in Kern County. And no supervisor story this year would be complete without a heavy dose of irony. As a college student, Scrivner was busted for possession of marijuana but here decades later positions himself on high moral ground by voting against it. (photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian)

 * ... INGA BARKS: Rumors are flying around town that KNZR radio has parted ways with longtime afternoon talk show host Inga Barks. I reached out to KNZR station manager Mary Lou Gunn, as well as Inga herself, but have heard nothing, which may be normal considering we are talking about personnel changes here. Barks has been absent on the radio recently (illnesss? vacation?) and that could have led to the speculation. Her mugshot and bio material remain on the KNZR website. Stay tuned.

 * ... JAZ MCKAY: Meanwhile, KNZR owner Alpha Media faced greater problems at the local station when social media exploded over a post by afternoon host Jaz McKay making racist comments about local Hispanics. McKay apparently posted a Facebook live post of him listening to Spanish language radio stations and referring them as "Spic" channels. That was picked up by former KNZR employee Chad Garcia who shared it with his followers, triggering a firestorm of complaints. McKay was not on the air Friday (a guest host filled in) and he told the local newspaper he was sorry if it offended anyone. All in all a bad day for Alpha Media. What is it they say about karma?

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Accidentally liked two posts from the same person and now Facebook thinks we’re getting married."

 * ... MORE TWITTER: "I just want one month where a headline doesn't appear that makes me picture Donald Trump having sex with someone."

* ... TRAGEDY: What a horrible week for our young people in Bakersfield. First, 16-year-old Centennial High student Clayton Boen died after falling out of a vehicle in a DUI related incident. Then, it was revealed that a 13-year-old Rosedale Middle School student committed suicide after she was bullied at school.

 * ... HOLIDAY LIGHTS: The folks who run the annual holiday light show out at CALM had their biggest year ever. According to Steve Sanders over at the Kern Superintendent of Schools, this was a record year with 67,618 people enjoying the light show that celebrated its 15th year. "That was about 15,000 more than last year and 10,000 more than our previous record year in 2012 of 57,993," Sanders said. He explained that will net over $200,000 for CALM, all of which goes directly into exhibits and improvements.

 * ... OLD DAYS: The other day I interviewed local historian John Kelley on the Old Ridge Route, the circuitous, winding road built in 1915 that connected Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Among the fascinating tidbits: how Hollywood celebrities like Clark Gable and Carole Lombard would visit some of the old hotels like the Lebec Hotel as a weekend retreat. When I returned home, a neighbor (I  live in a 1934 bungalow downtown) sent me a note about Clark Gable visiting my street. Julie (Clerou) Riegel said this: "On a Sunday afternoon in the mid 1950s, Clark Gable and his wife, Kay Williams, drove down Cedar Street in their long, shiny, beautiful black car to visit Kay Williams’ brother who lived next door to you. Even though I was a young kid, I can remember every detail... his dark overcoat, crooked smile, slick chocolate brown hair, and the confident and friendly wave he gave to all of us kids waiting in the street. I think he and his wife visited a few more times but I can’t remember those visits. So Clark Gable stood, walked, parked, smiled and waved not more than 20 feet from your yard."

Rep. Kevin McCarthy walks a political tightrope by aligning himself with the president, and follow the money, and connections, in the 3rd District supervisor's race

Wednesday, January 17, 2018


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 such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... KMAC: Here's a question worth pondering: how much damage is Kevin McCarthy doing to himself because of his close relationship with Donald Trump? It's topic No. 1 at lunch across town when when it comes to our favorite locally grown House Majority Leader, and increasingly folks are

going public with what they think. While a recent Washington Post story credited McCarthy for his ability to establish a relationship of trust with the president, here are home some people are thinking he has sold his soul for political expedience. It's a growing chorus of criticism that is growing bolder by the day, and you have to wonder what McCarthy is thinking as he shares the spotlight with a president who has become so divisive. Two vocal critics of McCarthy (albeit both are Democrats so some of this is expected) are criminal lawyer David Torres and plaintiffs attorney Matt Clark, both of whom use social media to take on McCarthy. Consider this recent post by Torres: "Why does our Representative Kevin McCarthy continue to defend the actions of President Trump? Why does 'Trump’s Kevin' believe it is ok to turn his head and ignore the hatred, racism and ugliness that spews out of Trump’s mouth and policies? Is it too difficult for McCarthy to shed the cloak of cowardice and exhibit fortitude, not like a man, but like a caring human being, and tell his constituents, better yet, American’s, that he condemns the President’s ill choice of words and lack of diplomacy against impoverished countries? That he does not believe those countries Trump impugned are inferior to the USA and that McCarthy acknowledges the scores of Americans from Haiti, Jamaica, Africa and Latin American countries who have contributed greatly to our society." (photo of David A. Torres)

 * ... MAGGARD VS HEINLE: Just how ugly will the race for 3rd District county supervisor get in the months ahead? If the last week is any indication, it will be plenty ugly. Supervisor Mike Maggard has come out swinging, accusing his challenger - city firefighter Jeff Heinle - of being backrolled by pro marijuana interests. But here's a hint: follow the money and
pay attention to who is supporting both Maggard and Heinle. There is no direct evidence that Heinle is backed by pro marijuana interests, and even if he were, it's totally legal as cannabis enters the mainstream of California politics. And here's something interesting: political strategist Kim Schaefer is now running Maggard's campaign. But it doesn't stop there. Schaefer is also working for a group called Kern Citizens for Patient's Rights that has a medical marijuana initiative on the city ballot. While it wouldn't affect the unincorporated county, the irony here is rich that Maggard's campaign is being run by an operative who is helping run a pro medicinal marijuana initiative that Maggard voted against when it came before the Board of Supervisors. What is it they say about politics making strange bedfellows? Anyway, would that qualify as a conflict for Maggard? Schaefer, by the way, formerly worked for Congressman Jim Costa and briefly was chief of staff for Supervisor Leticia Perez, who Maggard has accused by plotting against him along with her political consultant husband, Fernando Jara. As I said, pay attention to these connections and their own interests. Isn't politics grand? (photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian; Kim Schaefer photo from Facebook)

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "When people with multiple personality disorders are about to die, whose life flashes before their eyes?"

* ... SANTA CAROTA BEEF: Good news for the local ranching family that produces the grass and carrot fed Santa Carota beef: Eureka Burger will be featuring the beef this month. The burger, produced right here in Kern County, will be available at the Eureka Burger locations in Bakersfield, Hawthorne, San Diego and Las Vegas.

 * ... AMC THEATER: Have you been to the remodeled AMC Theater off California Avenue near Coconut Joe's? The theater features six small viewing rooms, each with about 20 seats with fully reclining, comfortable chairs. What's best: you can buy your tickets online and reserve your seating. The chain also has full beer and wine service and an extensive menu. The bad: a lot of ambient noise from the lobby and I had to use Fandango because the AMC website was not working. Still, worth your try.

 * ... EAST HIGH: East High School will be inducting 10 more people into its alumni hall of fame. The Feb. 10 banquet, held at the Marriott Hotel, will honor Ruben Elias, Rudy Gonzalez, Milt Henderson, Michael Mangrum, Julio Mercado, Dr. Jim Nuanaz, Ron Ray, Dr. Caleb Thompson, Mary Gordon and Judy Marsha Baer Yeager.

Steve Schilling given a proper sendoff as he heads to retirement, the Wounded Heroes Fund puts on a comedy jam and Rod and Julie Crawford survive the nuclear scare in Hawaii

Monday, January 15, 2018

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 such a special place. We value your feedback. Email your news and notes (good form, bad form, kids doing well, anniversaries, observations) to rsbeene@yahoo.com.


 * ... OLD GUARD: There was a big send off for Steve Schilling as the outgoing CEO of Clinica Sierra Vista last week, and it many ways it showcased the changing of the guard in Kern County.

Schilling spent more than 40 years building Clinica into one of the largest providers of healthcare in the West, and over that time he moved adroitly on the political right and left to get what he needed to provide basic health care for the underserved. Among those I spotted at a reception at the downtown Women's Club were former Congressman Bill Thomas, former state senator and supervisor Roy Ashburn, Supervisor Mike Maggard, Mayor Karen Goh, Ben Stinson III, cardiologist Dr. Brij Bhambi, attorney Matt Clark and Schilling's replacement, new Clinica CEO Brian Harris. At one time Schilling, Thomas and Ashburn were at the center of political power in Bakersfield, and it was curious to see them back together for perhaps one of the last times.

 * ... TBC TROIKA: And speaking of the old guard, it was also curious to see so many former Bakersfield Californian big wigs at the reception, all of whom have since left TBC to strike out on their own. (Full disclosure: I too am a former TBC employee). The exodus from our local newspaper of top talent in the past year has been stunning, and it was on full display at the Schilling reception. Among those I spotted were former lifestyles editor Jennifer Self, now a director of advocacy for Clinica, former city editor Christine Bedell, now an alumni affairs director at CSUB, and former columnist Lois Henry, TBC's star editor/reporter who abandoned ship to work with a business advocacy group. And taking their picture? None other than John Hart, formerly one of TBC's talented photographers. Between the four of them, they represented more than 80 years of reporting on Kern County.

 * ... SOUND WALLS: It looks like work has started to build sound walls on the north side of 24th Street as the widening project moves into the construction phase. The sound walls (only on the north side, not the south) go in first followed by a total widening, resurfacing and installation of a landscaped median. The entire project, from Highway 99 to C Street, is expected to take two years. As City Manager Alan Tandy told me: "It will be a mess." Ain't that the truth.

 * ... COMEDY HOUR: Hats off to Julio Torres and the folks over at the Wounded Heroes Fund for a raucous, hilarious and successful comedy night to support the service dog program for combat veterans. Held Saturday night at the  Elks Club near the Garces Circle, the event raised money to train service dogs for veterans suffering from post traumatic issues.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If I got a nuke alert I wouldn't call my family and say goodbye or anything. I'd be here tweeting top quality content for you all, harvesting retweets until the fireball took me."

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: A tropical outdoor bar is shown in a picture with this written on a chalkboard: "We have beer as cold as your ex's heart."

 * ... HAWAII: Rod and Julie Crawford, owner of Pyrenees Cafe and the Silver Fox Starlite Lounge, had just arrived in Hawaii for a vacation when the alarm sounded that a nuclear strike was imminent. This Facebook post from Julie says it all:  "Just want to say I LOVE YOU to all my friends and family today. I didn’t realize how sweet life is till I thought it was gone. Huddling between the beds holding our six year old baby girl between us kissing each other good bye was the real deal. I’ve never been so scared or more thankful all at the same time. I was not happy to die but glad we were all together as a family. Ok so now back to the vacation in beautiful Hawaii."