Turmoil at the Kern County Fair as an audit reveals gross mismanagement, Robin Fleming is hired by state Sen. Shannon Grove and remembering the late great Mexicali West ...

 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 reflect the views of any other individual, news organization or business. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... FAIR SCANDAL: You can bet some heads are going to roll following a state audit which claims that hundreds of thousands of dollars may have been misspent by management at the Kern County Fair. The audit did not specifically say who was responsible, and it remains to be seen if we

are talking about Fair employees or perhaps members of its Board of Directors, which has always comprised a "who's who" in Kern County. The audit put the spotlight on board chairman Blodgie Rodriguez, who declined to comment, as did fellow board member NaTesha Johnson. Also remaining silent is Fair CEO Michael Olcott, who seemed to be singled out by the audit in one case for failing to provide receipts for dinners. The audit alleges that people enjoyed sumptuous dinners of lobster and expensive wine, charged air travel and alcohol and left lavish tips. To say this is serious is an understatement, and while Olcott is much beloved in the community, many are expecting him to be an early casualty of all this. Members of the Fair board are appointed by the governor (it's why the board is so weighted toward Democrats or Republicans at any given time). In addition to Rodriguez and Johnson, other members of the Fair board include Ned Dunphy, Jared Britschgi, Cesar Chavez, Lucas Espericuetea, David Lidgett and David Torres.

 * ... LATE BREAKING: After the above item was filed, KBAK reported this on its website.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - A California State audit found that the Kern County Fair CEO Mike Olcott and maintenance supervisor Joe Hebert reportedly "allowed—and often participated in—the gross mismanagement of state resources" in a report published August 20.

The audit found more than $300,000 in questionable spending between 2016 and 2018, much of it spent on travel, expensive meals, and alcohol.

While the report doesn't say which California fair they audited, to protect the identities of the employees named in the report, multiple sources tell Eyewitness News it was the Kern County Fair that is at fault.

The audit found that the fair, funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, had no receipts for $132,000 worth of credit card purchases, over $30,000 in "excessive and unauthorized" out of state travel, and more than $1,200 spent on alcohol.

Christopher Medellin, a maintenance mechanic who worked at the fair from July 2017 until he quit in June 2019, said the fair was the most unethical place he's ever worked.

"Nobody felt like they can actually say anything, and anything happen," Medellin said.

He claims he reported misuse of funds and vehicles to Olcott and was later yelled at by his supervisor for saying anything. The audit mentions instances when employees denied using state resources for unauthorized purposes, but auditors saw them doing it.

"The maintenance supervisor and the CEO claimed that the maintenance supervisor took the state-owned vehicle home at most twice a week when he needed to pick up work-related materials on his way to or from the fairgrounds. However based on our observations and witness statements, he used the state-owned vehicle nearly every day as if it were his personal truck," the audit claims.

Medellin said he and others were coached on what to tell the auditors, or they'd be fired.

A receipt collected in the report shows a fair employee paid $400 for steaks, $125 for a lobster surf dinner, and spent more than $600 on wine vodka, hard cider, and cocktails.

"They definitely overspent. They wouldn't do that with their own money," Medellin said.

Three sources tell Eyewitness News that Hebert paid fair employees for side jobs, instructing them to clock in at the fairgrounds, work offsite for the day, and return at the end of the day to clock out at the fairgrounds. They reportedly used state trucks and materials to do those jobs.

Medellin was complicit in these tasks, claiming he worked on vehicles, billboards, and even helped move Olcott's daughter's furniture with a fair truck.

The audit recommended that Olcott and Hebert be appropriately disciplined and pay back the money, and added that more oversight by the board of directors and the CDFA is in order.

In response, the fair board of directors said they would work to find an equitable way to pay back the money and better oversee future spending, but did not report than any disciplinary action would be taken against Olcott or Hebert.

 * ... ROBIN FLEMING: Congratulations to Robin Fleming who has been appointed director for state Sen. Shannon Grove's 16th State Senate office here in town. Fleming is well known locally, a respected voice, and a good addition to Grove's local staff.

* ... CODY KESSLER: Good news for Centinnial High and USC graduate Cody Kessler: he has been traded to the New England Patriots to serve as a backup to Tom Brady. Kessler previously played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Whenever I lose my wife in a busy shopping mall, I just start whispering to myself 'You're right' and she immediately appears to tell me that I'm wrong."

 * ... FACEBOOK: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg spent last week on Capitol Hill defending the social media giant's privacy policies, and he dropped by the office of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for a chat. When McCarthy wanted to share a picture of him with Zuckerberg, he did it on Facebook of course.

 * ... SHOOTING SPORTS: The Kern County Gun Club is once again offering a terrific course for young shooters, opening its skeet, trap and sporting clays courses to youths aged 12 through high school. The courses run for six months (starting now) and classes are held once a month. The cost is just $75 and includes ammunition, targets and lunch. A shotgun will be provided. The class director is Bruce Binns, an accomplished skeet shooter, who will train the youths in basic gun safety and techniques. Call Bruce at (661) 333-4980 for more information.

 * ... MEXICALI WEST: Did you see that old Mexicali West building has been demolished? That's right, the Gamez family sold the iconic restaurant and it will not be replaced by an office building with two small restaurants. Mexicali West had a strong local following, and this Facebook post testifies to the loyalty its customers had for the place. Said Mariane McLucas Reyes: "I actually got 2 roof tiles from Mexicali West as mementos, from a job foreman when they started the demo. I worked there as a teen, had dozens of birthday dinners there and though we still eat at the downtown location, West was just a wonderful respite from your day. Calming views sitting by the glass window of the California Room, staff that never let your water or tea glass go unfilled (thanks to Esther Gamez's rules for service). West was always magical at Christmas and just a beautiful restaurant, unlike any other we have in town. I will miss it, always."

 * ... TRASH: Here is an ugly scene taken on Chester Avenue in front of the Stars Theater. The craziness continues but at least in this case, the city was quick to clean up the mess.

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this photo from 1969 showing the Wheeler Ridge pumping station, compliments of the Kern County of Old Facebook page. And then there is the second picture, from the 1930s or 1940s, of the old water wheel at Hart Park.

Bakersfield is a house divided over the allegations against Monsignor Craig Harrison, District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer is laser-focused on the homeless and crime issue and Gene Voiland is honored by Washington State University

Sunday-Monday, September 22-23, 2019

 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 reflect the views of any other individual, news organization or business. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: How bad has the rift in our community become over the investigation into molestation charges against Monsignor Craig Harrison? Well, it is hard to believe it could get any worse. Friendships have fallen by the wayside as the community has taken sides: those who believe

Father Craig without reservation, and those who have taken a wait and see attitude to give respect to the accusers. There simply is no in between with some people. Disagree and you are the enemy, worthy of being ostracized, isolated and ridiculed. Stand by Father Craig and you are spitting in the face of young people who may have been victimized by his own hands. While we wait on the Diocese of Fresno to rule on his fate, Father Craig's legal team papers critics with lawsuits, a tried and true legal strategy meant to intimidate others into remaining silent. (Some even talk openly of suing the Roman Catholic church) Many Craig supporters are withholding support from the church, feeling that if they can hurt the church financially, it will force the Diocese of Fresno to bring him back. When his supporters speak of the worse case scenario (that Harrison is not allowed back in his old position) there is even talk of Father Craig opening his own church. Would cradle to grave Catholics actually leave the church to follow Father Craig, a move that seems more evangelical in focus than Roman Catholic? Does the person trump the faith? This is likely more of an emotional reaction than reality, but the mere fact it is being talked about speaks to the level of discord this whole case has left in our community. Let's all hope this issue is resolved quickly before more damage is done.


 * ... HOMELESS: If there is one person who understands the public frustration over homelessness, it is District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer. During an appearance on The Richard Beene Show, I asked her to respond to people who say our community lacks compassion in dealing with this crisis. Zimmer didn't blink, referring to all this as a drug, crime and safety issue. "I am not a social worker," she told me. Rather, she is here to make our community safe. Bravo! Zimmer spoke at length about her plan to prosecute, and jail, repeat misdemeanor offenders, not the end-all solution but certainly a start. Count me in as one of those who has reached the boiling point. The photo below shows a vagrant in the alley behind my house, resting after shooting up. It is all too common these days. And then I spotted this post on Facebook: "I had a homeless drug addict high on heroin walk through my front door in broad daylight telling me,  'I had what he wanted and he was here to get it' over and over as I ran out screaming my face off and my kids were upstairs. This was on 18th street south of 24th. I found needles in the alley, was awakened by shouting in the middle of the night, someone had a party on my lawn... I could go on and on. This is a DANGER to our community."

 * ... GENE VOILAND: Congratulations to Gene Voiland, retired CEO of Aera Energy, who was honored by his alma mater, Washington State University, with a Foundation award recognizing his contributions to the university. A 1969 graduate of WSU, Violand has given generously to his alma mater and in fact the engineering school was named after him: the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering.

* ... GO RUNNERS: The CSUB men's basketball team unveiled its new schedule this week, and it features some terrific matches against top ranked teams. On Nov. 23 the Runners will travel to Spokane, Wash., to play Gonzaga, always a top 10 contender, and on Dec. 7 they travel south to play Ole Miss, where CSUB Coach Rod Barnes played and also coached, earning SEC coach of the year honors.. Finally, our Runners will play Texas Tech in the Lone Star state on Dec. 29.

* ... BARBECUE: The arrival of fall and cooler temperatures means it's barbecue fundraising season again in Kern County. One of the biggest with perhaps the worthiest of causes is the annual St. Vincent de Paul Homeless Center Fall BBQ. It will be held Thursday, October 3 at the facility at 316 Baker Street. Doors open at 5 p.m., and guests can enjoy a NY steak or Teriyaki chicken and all the trimmings, grilled to valet parking will also be available. The day-facility receives no federal funding and relies on this event to provide two hot meals a day, access to restrooms and showers, and social services to upwards of 200 men, women and sometimes children every day. As everyone in our community grapples with the growing homelessness problem in our area, consider the ticket the most important $35 you'll spend all year. Tickets available at the door and at the Thrift store next door.

 * ... MEMORIES: Take a walk down memory lane with me and feast on these photos of Bakersfield back in the day.

Anti-gun activist and Stoneman High survivor David Hogg to appear at CSUB, Monsignor Craig's legal team goes on the offensive, and the attack on local businesses by the drug addicted continues unabated

Thursday-Friday, September 19-20, 2019

 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. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

* ... DAVID HOGG: The Kegley Institute of Ethics will devote its spring speaker series to David Hogg, one of the survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in south Florida. Hogg,

now 19, has since become an anti-gun activist and crusader and a polarizing figure for pro Second Amendment advocates. Hogg's appearance was announced by Kegley director Dr. Michael Burroughs on The Richard Beene Show. No details yet on exactly when Hogg will appear at CSUB. Meanwhile, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Arun Gandhi, will appear at Kegley's Fall lecture on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Dore Theater.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: Monsignor Craig Harrison's legal team has filed yet another lawsuit against his accusers, this one aimed at a monk who accused Harrison of inappropriately touching and fondling young men. This time Harrison's attorneys filed a suit against Justin Gilligan, who told investigators that Harrison had touched the genitals of young men, told homosexual jokes and engaged in pornography. The monk once worked with Harrison at St. Francis Parish in Bakersfield. If you remember, Harrison's attorneys have already sued a Catholic watch group group - Roman Catholic Faithful - for defamation. The filing of the suits opens Harrison to cross examination and depositions which will of course allow his detractors to repeat, in graphic detail, the sordid details of the charges he has been fighting. The monk's allegations were detailed to police with the full cooperation of the Diocese of Fresno, which suspended Harrison pending a full investigation. As noted plaintiff's lawyer Daniel Rodriguez said, at times this strategy can backfire, but it is clear that Harrison's legal team has taken the fight to his accusers, no matter what the cost.

 * ... LIVE AUCTION; Speaking of Father Craig, did you hear about the live auction to benefit a local program this past week? It turns out one of the items being auctioned was dinner with Father Craig, and it went or a whopping $27,000 thanks to a winning bid by a local business owner. The bid speaks volumes about the enormous support that Father Craig enjoys among well heeled Catholics and others about town, some of the same people who are contributing to his defense fund that pays for the lawsuits against his detractors. It also reflects the great divide between the Catholic Church and pro-Harrison parishioners, many of whom have withdrawn their monetary support of the church in hopes of pressuring the diocese into returning Harrison to his old job.

 * ... CRIME: The tsunami of petty crime committed by street vagrants, the mentally ill and the drug addicted continues unabated. Over the weekend the newly renovated offices of Skarpohol Frank architects downtown were vandalized. The front door was bashed in and the lobby ransacked, yet the only item stolen was a jar of candy. Meanwhile, police were called to Dagney's Coffee house downtown to deal with a pair of screaming homeless, and so it goes.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Hey, @BetoORourke, actual Texan here. I regret to inform you that your request to buy my legally purchased firearms has been denied after your background check revealed your criminal record. Don’t want to take any chances. Xoxo."

 * ... JEFF SIMPSON: One of the founders of Sequoia Sandwich Co. has joined American General Media as chief financial officer. Jeff Simpson, who along with partner Gary Blackburn built Sequoia into a powerhouse local lunch spot and went on to sell it last year, joined the Bakersfield-based radio company this week. AGM operates six radio stations in town, including KERN News Radio.

 * ... MEMORIES: Two of my favorite Facebook pages - Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans - deal with our living history. Here are some more nuggets from those pages.

The sheriff and the district attorney plan to step up enforcement on the streets, good news for our homeless crisis, Trump sends experts to Los Angeles to check on that street crisis and getting ready for another Bakersfield Marathon

Monday, September 16, 2019

 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. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... HOMELESS: This may be some of the best news yet to come out of battle against drug addiction, homelessness and and street crime. It looks like District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer and

Sheriff Donny Youngblood are working together to find ways to prosecute people for misdemeanors, now that Sacramento has decriminalized all but the most serious of violent offenses. This excerpt is from The Californian: "Due to limited jail space, deputies in Kern County typically give out citations for those arrested on suspicion of drug possession or stealing less than $950. But law enforcement officials say those cited seldom show up in court, and the next time they are arrested they simply receive another ticket and give another promise to show up. “We’d like to be able to not give someone a ticket who has possession of drugs, a ticket to someone who has vandalized, a ticket for someone with a promise to go to court,” Zimmer said. “Because they don’t go to court. They don’t go to court because they are high and they can’t make these kinds of decisions. They have to go to jail.” It won't solve everything, but it is an important step forward.

 * ... MORE HOMELESS: The Trump administration has sent experts to Los Angeles to study the homeless crisis, and what they saw was not pretty. There are an estimated 45,000 people living on the streets in Los Angeles, and along with that have come typhoid, and invasion of rats and other public health issues. Rev. Andy Bales of Union Mission church told Forbes that five of the visitors were from the Environmental Protection Agency because "human waste flows into storm sewers." But that is not all. Bales also warned of types of homeless he is seeing. "We are seeing behaviors from our guests that I’ve never seen in 33 years,” said Bales. “They are so bizarre and different that I don’t even feel right describing the behaviors. It’s extreme violence of an extreme sexual nature. I have been doing this for 33 years and never seen anything like it.”

 * ... WEDDING: Congratulations to Blake Strong and Emily Holtzman tied the knot Sunday in a lovely ceremony at the new Metro Special Events space on 18th Street. Strong works for Kaiser and Emily is a local body artist. The couple met in Santa Rosa, lost their home after the fires and relocated to Bakersfield where Strong was raised. If you haven't visited Metro Special Events, try to do so. It is Don Martin's latest creation after he vacated the old Metro Galleries on 19th and Eye streets.

 * ... MARATHON: Are you ready for the Bakersfield Marathon? The fourth annual run will be held November 17, once again starting in the southwest at CSUB and winding its way through town and up to Bakersfield College before heading back. Officials expect to set yet another record turnout. The Bakersfield event serves as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

 * ... MEMORIES: Some more wonderful old pictures from our past thanks to the Facebook pages Kern County of Old and Kern County History Fans.

Santa Carota beef gets some love from Food and Wine magazine, the city takes heat for moving too slowly on our homeless and drug crisis, and who knew In-N-Out burger had treats for dogs?

Friday, September 13, 2019

 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. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... DRUG CRISIS: It was an angry scene at City Hall this week when dozens of residents lined up during the public comment session to voice their concerns about our drug and homeless crisis. The

theme was clear: we need to understand that we have a drug addiction problem, not so much of a homeless problem. The city has been criticized for being too tentative, moving too slowly, sitting on their hands while this problem has grown out of control. The county, by contrast, has already approved plans for a low-barrier shelter while the city continues to "study" where their's might be located. If nothing else, the city got an earful from a public that is at its wit's end with crime, public intoxication, public urination and defecation and general craziness that rules our streets. Is anyone listening?

 * ... SANTA CAROTA BEEF: Do you hear that Food and Wine magazine threw some love to our local producers of the grass fed and carrot finished Santa Carota beef? That's right, this is the same beef raised by the Pettit family that has proved to be wildly popular in local restaurants. Fed on grass and finished off by tons of carrots, the process produces a beef that is both more tender and tastier, and healthier as well. Check out this excerpt from the story: "The Pettit family has been raising cattle in Edison (an unincorporated community just seven miles from Bakersfield) for 30 years, and much of that time they have been supplementing their grass-fed cattle with culled carrots from nearby producers like Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms, which produce more than a million pounds of carrots each in a day—the most in the world. But until two years ago, Justin and Corinne Pettit and Justin’s father, Mike, were growing their cattle to 800 pounds on grass and carrots, then sending them to a feedlot to be bulked up and finished to nearly 1300 pounds on grain. They had never considered finishing a cow on carrots, until, Justin describes, they conducted a single experiment, which they planned to try for Justin’s birthday in April of 2017 (with a pizza order as a back-up plan). Just one bite of the steaks, and they put down their forks and looked at each other. “And we said, Oh, now we have to go to work.” And they literally bet the farm. “We sold all our equipment, put everything on our credit line … had packing boxes all over our conference tables. We have everything riding on it, but we believe in it.” Within 18 months, they’d developed their logo and began selling to some of the best restaurants in the West."

 * ... DOG TREATS: Did you know that In-N-Out burger has a few menu items for your dog? That's right, the popular chain actually has two offerings for your mutt: the first a plain, salt-free burger patty. Another off-menu item, which is also available for humans but was supposedly originally devised for dogs, is the Flying Dutchman, which is two beef patties and two slices of cheese.

* ... BRANDING: The city and county rolled out their new branding and message campaigns this week, ending a two year process meant to reposition our hometown in a more positive light. The city's version, branding as "The Sound of Something Better," features a green logo in the shape of a guitar pic emblazoned with a 'b" that looks like a musical note.

 * ... THEFT: We talk a lot about our "homeless" crisis but our real problem is a drug and crime crisis. As Sacramento has passed a series of decriminalizing laws to keep people our of prison, crime has risen dramatically. Consider this post I spotted on Facebook: "Two tall skinny black guys with baseball caps came running out of the garden dept at the Home Depot on Ming with 3 big boxes. Power tools of some sort. Hopped in this black car and hit a shopping cart that a guy was trying to block them with. Glad he wasn't hurt. Headed east on Ming. I hate thieves. So brazen. "

 * ... MEMORIES: And check this amazing photo out from the Kern County History Fans Facebook page. Just wow.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And how about the old Plunge on Union Avenue?

Radio producer J.R. Flores gives his take on Kern County's drug crisis, it goes viral and the public anger reaches a boiling point

 J.R. Flores, producer of both The Richard Beene Show and The Ralph Bailey Show on KERN NewsTalk 96.1 FM, had planned to give this three-minute speech before the Bakersfield City Council during the public comment session at this week's council meeting. But that never happened because Mayor Karen Goh limited all speakers to just two minutes instead of the allocated three minutes. Here is your chance to read the Flores' take in its entirety. 

"Good evening Madam Mayor, members of the council. My name is J.R. Flores, program director for Kern Radio and producer of The Richard Beene Show and The Ralph Bailey Show. I wanted to address you this evening regarding the epidemic happening in our city, and I do mean epidemic.
 "This isn’t a homeless issue, this isn’t a housing crisis. This is a drug epidemic, this is a mental

health crisis, and if we are not careful a public hazardous health warning.
"With the human waste that plagues our downtown business alley and doorways, to the drug paraphernalia left in the playgrounds where my kids used to play. I understand the laws that come out of Sacramento, AB109 and Props 47 and 57. But I refuse, my neighbors refuse, my community refuses, the citizens of this city refuse to continue to hear 'Our hands are tied.' OUR CITY IS UNDER SIEGE, IT IS NOT SAFE!
 "A BHS teacher told us that he no longer lets his daughter put gas downtown, a neighborhood he grew up in. Yesterday my fiancé was told by a vagrant/street criminal at our neighborhood gas station 'Hey baby why don’t you just take me home with you?' How long till one of them, if not already, start sexually assaulting woman?  Just this morning as she dropped off my son at William Penn

Elementary, as many other parents dropped off their kids or while they walked to school, a drug induced or mentally deranged man had defecated on himself, buttocks exposed wandering about just outside the gates.
 "Our kids can’t go to school without being exposed to this? They definitely can’t play in the parks, as they’ve been overrun by drug addicts and mentally unstable individuals. AND YES DRUG ADDICTS AND MENTALLY UNSTABLE, NOT HOMELESS PEOPLE. Do they happen to live on the streets? Yes they do. But these are not the families visiting Louis Gill at the homeless shelter, that guy at the gas station isn’t visiting Carlos at the Mission, the man this morning isn’t the guy visiting Kern Behavioral Health.
 "I applaud the effort of those individuals working those places, on the front lines of the real homeless crisis. This, what we are dealing with, is not a homeless crisis. You want to give them low barrier shelters. I applaud the county for their leadership and moving forward with their site, even if I don’t believe that will solve this problem.

 "Providing drug addicts a safe haven is only enabling the problem. That is no better than the mom that lets her son get high down the hall rather than on the streets. These people will continue to plague or neighborhoods and break in to our cars, our homes and our businesses, harassing the law abiding taxpaying citizens of the city. I hope, I pray that the people that do occupy those beds are going to get the true help they need. We talk about wrap around services and setting these people up with the help they need. But the services are already there and these people aren’t taking advantage of them now, what leads you to believe they will once given a place they don’t have to conform to enter.  "Our sheriff has 600 beds… How about beds in a intervention clinic or at a mental health place? So when given the option those beds or Lerdo they have to take responsibility for their place in life. I hear the cries for compassion, but allowing these people to do drugs and wander aimlessly un-medicated is not compassion.
 "Hiring 100 cops that cannot or will not enforce laws is not going to solve the problem. All of this going on while a priority tonight is spending $390,000 of measure N money on staging lights inside of Rabobank. While we worry about Soccer parks and softball fields. While adopting a new brand and slogan. “Bakersfield, The sound of something better.”  How about we actually make it better and not just sound better. Thank you!

Kern County prepares to unveil a new branding campaign, the county moves forward with a low barrier shelter for the homeless and a beautiful new mural graces downtown

Monday, September 9, 2019

 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. Send news items to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... STREET CRISIS: You have to applaud the county and the Board of Supervisors for moving swiftly to confront our drug and vagrancy crisis on our streets. The county will vote this week on

erecting a temporary low-barrier shelter near Golden State and O Street on a 5-acre vacant lot owned by the county. This is a credit to county chief administrative officer Ryan Alsop and the entire board for moving with urgency. Meanwhile, we await as the city decides where it will put its shelter. Ironically, the earlier site for the city shelter was just a block away from where the county is going, and it would be wise for the city council to reconsider this spot and move with all due speed.

 * ... DRUG CRISIS: Despite all this, we have to be careful to rein in our expectations. These "low barrier" shelters are designed for the true homelesss. Our crisis here is a drug crisis disguised as a homeless crisis. Iy is doubtful that the addicts, vagrants, crazies and criminals who walk our streets causing mayhem will avail themselves to these shelters. That is going to take a different kind of enforcement involving the police. Speaking of addicts, a friend took this picture of a vagrant in a lingerie dress near Rosedale and Calloway. And so it goes.

 * ... BRANDING: Meanwhile the county and the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce will unveil a new branding campaign for the county Monday during a press conference at the historic Padre Hotel. Presumably this will replaced the dated "Life As It Should Be" campaign. Attending will be Mayor Karen Goh, Supervisor David Couch, Chamber president Nick Ortiz and other city and county elected officials. I will be moderating a panel at 3:30 p.m. in the Belvedere Room at the Padre.

 * ... MURAL: Hats off to local artist Jennifer Williams Cordova who added a little class and style to our downtown when she painted this mural near a local restaurant.

 * ... NO HANDOUTS: Check out this poster the city is using to advise people not to give money to street beggars.

 * ... MEMORIES: Now here is a trip down memory lane. Apparently this is a picture of the building that stood where the Silver Fox now stands. The caption: "This building at 700 18th in New China Town 1932 is the current location of the Silver Fox. Things have changed a little. :-)"