The state warns against recharging electric cars during this heat wave, Supervisor Mike Maggard supports a tougher stand on the homeless and who knows how to drive a manual transmission here?

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.

 * ... HEAT AND THE GRID: It's no secret that these sizzling days have strained the California electrical power grid, but did you know the state is also discouraging the use of electric vehicles? That's right, in addition to lowering the thermostat the state is asking residents to refrain from charging their electric vehicles to avoid power outages during a persistent heatwave. The California Independent System Operator has issued the call to “pre-cool your home by lowering the thermostat,” “use major appliances, like your dishwasher, and clothes washer and dryer,” “close window coverings to keep your home or apartment cool,” “charge electronic devices,” and “charge electric vehicles” before “Flex Alerts” enter into effect. This is coming from a state that seems bound and determined to outlaw fossil fuels and natural gas, and yet we can't produce enough electricity to keep the AC running or charge our cars. Go figure.

 * ... HOMELESS: Three cheers to Supervisor Mike Maggard who has suggested looking into tup on news that the Los Angeles City Council may do something similar, Maggard said "if they can do it there, I think we could do it here." Maggard's statement is long overdue and an acknowledgement that what we are doing now is falling short of its goals. Thanks in part to the homeless and the trash and filth they generate, our city has never looked worse, and we weren't gifted with a lot of natural beauty anyway. 

 * ... EAST HILLS MALL: So after all this time someone is going to finally deal with East Hills Mall, which for the past decade resembles the Kern County Dump more than a retail establishment. Built in 1988 to great fanfare, the mall fell on hard times, lost its anchor tenants, was shut down and slowly became a haven for the homeless, the drug addicted and the curious. Now, it looks like the new owners are serious about tearing it down and starting new. But with what? It is anyone's guess but it is safe to say that anything will be an improvement over the current eyesore.

 * ... DEPRESSION: Did you know that what time you wake in the morning says a lot about your overall health? That's the word from The New York Times that cited studies linking earlier risers to less risk for depression. Conducted by JAMA Psychiatry, the study found that those who go to be at 10 and wake at 6 a.m. have a sleep midpoint around 2 a.m. For every hour earlier the sleep in the midpoint, there was a 23 percent decrease in depression. The study noted that those who rise early often have healthier lifestyles: exercise and less chronic pain.

 * ... STICK SHIFTS: If you grew up learning to drive with a manual transmission, you are among a shrinking population of Americans who know how to use the stick shift. Consider this: The New York Times says more electric vehicles were sold in the United States than cars with a manual transmission this past year.  In 1980, fully 35 percent of cars built for the US market had manual transmissions, and today it is less than 1 percent. The upside: cars with stick shifts are now collectibles and the prices are going up.

 * ... EYTAN WALLACE: Congratulations to Eytan Wallace of KGET who won a local Emmy for his political coverage this past year. This is the curse of local TV: really smart young reporters like Wallace come to town, excel, and invariably move on to a larger market, leaving behind less talented others who are well past their prime. Wallace joins a long list of young TV talent who has served time in the Bakersfield market before moving on. We have been lucky to have Eytan Wallace as long as we have.

  * ... MEMORIES: Thanks to the Kern County History Fans for this post.

Jeremy Adams' essay :The Death of Gratitude in the American Classroom" speaks to the values of a new generation and a new America that is breaking with its past. Is that a good thing? One teacher poses that question ...

 Bakersfield Observed presents this essay from Jeremy Adams, a teacher at Bakersfield High School. My thanks to Jeremy for allowing me to reprint it.

 Like his father Jeremy Adams found his passion in the high school hallways of America, engrossing himself into the challenging, sometimes disheartening but always uplifting discipline of teaching teenagers in high school. But over the years Adams says something has changed, and it's the way young men and

women look on the world: how they view themselves and others, how they view the world, how they view concepts of sacrifice and patriotism and the all important "self." In this remarkable essay, Adams questions whether we have seen the death of gratitude in the American classroom. What happened to all the personal notes at the end of the year, the inevitable connections between student and teacher? As a teaser, one excerpt from the essay:

 "But post-Christian young Americans may ask, “Why exhibit gratitude for a life that I didn’t ask for?” For many of them, existence seems little better than nonexistence, because much of life seems absurd. They conclude that the creator of such absurdity must be unworthy of worship and praise, much less gratitude.

 "Many still tepidly like their nation, but the trend lines are not good. Increasingly, they do not say the Pledge of Allegiance or stand for the national anthem. They think patriotism is a virtue of the uneducated and naïve, who don’t know the “true history” of America popularized by Howard Zinn and the 1619 Project. They think invoking the Founding Fathers is bravado. They see our national celebrations as acts of hubris that “whitewash” a history of genocide, slavery, and colonialism.

 "They reject the traditional American narrative about the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: the one a radical statement of universal justice, the other an attempt to institutionalize those principles in a democratic republic. For many of my students, their allegiance is not to “the republic,” but to “social justice,” “equity,” or battling “systemic racism.” Ironically, they do not see how their own commitments are rooted in American idealism. Whether they know it or not, when they march in the street or bemoan unequal treatment, they are ultimately appealing to natural law, channeling Jeffersonian liberalism, and celebrating the constitutional principles of the fourteenth Amendment.

Riverlakes pastor Angelo Frazier takes on the idea of critical race theory, the debate over electronic bikes on the bike trail and District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer hits the road to win support

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.

 * ... WOKE CULTURE: Critical race theory argues that American history cannot be properly taught unless it takes into account systemic racism not only among individuals but also among the institutions

that make this country run. But some people, including Pastor Angelo Frazier of Riverlakes Community Church, argue we are being baited into racial discord. Critical race theory, he said, "doesn't allow for redemption ... it says we are all unredeemable, and that is just wrong." It order to save society, critical race theory believes it has to destroy it first and then rebuild a more just society, according to Frazier. Frazier was my guest on Bakersfield Observed the Podcast. Listen to our conversation by accessing the podcast on Spotify or wherever you downtown your podcasts.

 * ... ELECTRONIC BIKES: The latest dust-up to come before our City Council may be the use of electronic bicycles (or e-bikes) on the Kern River Parkway, and already the forces have come out to keep the bike trail clear of anything that is not pedal powered. But here's the rub: City Councilman Ken Weir and others who oppose the idea may be fighting a losing fight. First, like it or not but e-bikes are here to stay, and outlawing them may virtually impossible to enforce. If Ken Weir or someone else were forced to pick out an e-bike from a regular bike, both bikes sitting right in front of them, chances are they might fail because the visible difference is minor to the uneducated eye. Motorized, gas powered mini bikes are another matter, but trying to decipher between "class 1" and "class 2" e-bikes is an exercise in futility. This is not to say some type of regulations are not in order, but rather an acknowledgement that the city likely will not have the will, the resources or the manpower to enforce new restrictions. Below, can you tell which one is an electronic bike?)

 * ... MINIMUM WAGE: What are the best, and worse, big cities to live in if you are making minimum wage? Well, according to Move.org, Atlanta is the most expensive big city for minimum wage earners while Bakersfield ranked as the best big city for low wage earners. Ranking behind Bakersfield as most affordable were Tucson and Fresno.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have moisturized more."

 * ... WOKE WORLD: The anti-cop and Defund the Police movement caught up with City Council Chris Parlier, tracking down his home and defacing the property with signs and derogatory paintings on the sidewalk.

 

 * ... CYNTHIA ZIMMER: District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer held a fund raiser this week at Hungry Hunter Steakhouse, drawing a diverse group of supporters and further cementing herself as one of the more popular elected figures in town. On hand was Sheriff Donny Youngblood, who announced recently he would run for reelection, there to support his fellow law and order office holder.

 * ... MEMORIES: Not sure the date of this picture but it shows the demotion of the old El Tejon Hotel at the corner of Chester and Truxtun, where the Bank of America building now stands. Photo courtesy of the Kern County of Old Facebook page.

The city sets aside funds to consider saving the Union Pacific rail depot, the Bishop of Fresno orders Craig Harrison to shut down his counseling service, and a stroll through Bako on Flag Day

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.

 * ... CITY BUDGET: Do you remember a few years ago when the city of Bakersfield was so short on cash that it couldn't hire enough police officers for the streets? Well that was before the voters narrowly approved Measure N, which raised the sales tax with the promise of using the money to fight crime and clean up with homeless issue. And now that Measure N is generating more money than anticipated, our City

Council is far too eager to spend it. This week, the Council approved a $638 million budget that includes tens of thousands of dollars to try to salvage the old Union Pacific rail depot on Sumner Street. This is the pet project of Ward 2 Councilman Andrae Gonzales, whose own ward is an embarrassment of vandalism, petty crime and trash because of the homeless, but he has focused his attention on saving a grand old building that will likely never become a viable business simply because it is located in one of the most economically deprived areas of town. I hope I am wrong about this one but if not, I hope the City Council pulls the plug on this little adventure before we pour millions of dollars into "Andrae's folly." If I asked every one of you reading this to list the top 10 things that Bakersfield needs to address, would pouring millions into an old railroad depot on Baker Street be one of them? Or is this just another opportunity for a photo op?

 * ... HOMELESS FUNDS: The good news in the budget is another $1.9 million for 11 new positions to address issues along the Kern River Parkways, $3.1 million for continue operations at the Brundage Navigation Center and $6 million for affordable housing projects.

 * .. HARRISON VERSUS BRENNAN: In journalism, a story has "legs" when a constant series of new developments keeps a story fresh and in the news. And that describes the ongoing saga of Craig Harrison, the once wildly popular priest who clashed with his own bishop and chose to leave the church amid allegations that he sexually preyed on young men while serving at churches in Firebaugh, Merced and Bakersfield. And now comes word that Bishop Joseph Brennan has ordered Harrison to close his counseling business and nonprofit (Reflections for Women). Kyle Humphrey, one of Harrison's attorneys, accused Brennan of conducting a personal vendetta against Harrison. "If (Harrison) does not comply," he told KGET, "the bishop, acting in his capacity for the Diocese of Fresno appears to be threatening to publicly define Father Craig, a private citizen." Interestingly, Humphrey claimed he had received confirmation from the church that Harrison was not on the list of credibly accused priests. The Fresno diocese has indicated it is about to release that list, but other than Humphrey's statement, there is no word on if Harrison will make the list.

 * ... SEXUAL ABUSE: Meanwhile an expert in sexual abuse says the allegations against former Bakersfield priest Craig Harrison appear to follow a predictable pattern involved accused predators: the accused denies the charges, his attorneys attack the accusers and supporters rally to defend the embattled priest. Joelle Casteix, a survivor of sexual abuse herself while in high school in Orange County, joined me on the Bakersfield Observed podcast to discuss how communities react when one of their own popular members is accused of inappropriate sexual activity. Casteix said she had "heard rumblings for years" about Father Craig Harrison and was not surprised when men came forward to accuse him of sexual abuse. "The goal is to blur boundaries," she said, referring to a predator's attempt to "groom" victims by offering them friendship, emotional support and sometimes even cash as they struggle with personal issues. Predators often focus on troubled young men, many from broken homes, who often turn to their churches when things become difficult in their lives. Once allegations are made, Casteix said it is typical for the accused to cast doubt on the intent of the accusers by implying they are out for money. "It's easy to silence a survivor," she said, adding it is doubly difficult when the community appears to have rallied unquestionably around the accused. Casteix described herself as an "advocate" for men and women who have been sexually abused, sometimes by a priest or a teacher, friend, parent, scout master or coach.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Halfway through the argument I realized I was wrong but I kept going because you can't just stop an asshole train on a dime."

 * ... FLAG DAY: Some random pictures of flag day around Bakersfield.

 * ... MEMORIES: Thanks to my friend John Kelley for posting this old map of Bakersfield looking north. The map predates the 1952 earthquake.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And special thanks for Art Moore of the Kern County History Fans for this cool picture from back in the 1960s.

Two men file lawsuits claiming they were sexually abused by Craig Harrison, the Sierra Club joins the chorus of people lamenting the damage homeless have done to the Kern River Parkway,

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.

 * ... FATHER CRAIG: It was a remarkable scene out of Fresno this week when a prominent child abuse attorney laid out two lawsuits filed against former Bakersfield priest Craig Harrison. Jeff Anderson of Jeff Anderson and Associates referred to Harrison as a "predator" whose actions against young men were of a "serial nature," and he speculated that even out of the church, Harrison represented a "peril" to other men.

Anderson's firm represents two men, both unidentified, who claim Harrison sexually abused them in the early 1990s. Furthermore, the lawsuits claim the Diocese of Fresno not only knew about Harrison's actions but also covered them up. Anderson further indicated that there may be more victims. "We are interviewing others," he said. "How many? We don't know." Meanwhile, back home Harrison's criminal defense attorney, Kyle Humphrey, doubled down on his claim that victims were coming forward simply for the money. Humphrey had predicted the lawsuits and said people would come forward like "pigs" to a trough in search of money. One of two things is happening here: either the past has caught up with Craig Harrison, or Humphrey is correct. Now that the accusers have filed suit, the public can judge for itself when the accusers lay out their case in depositions and trial testimony. Harrison and his attorneys are now juggling five separate lawsuits, including three defamation suits that Harrison filed against critics and the two latest which put Harrison on the defensive.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Maybe I will get a $100 gift card to Lowe’s for Father’s Day so I can buy 1 sheet of plywood."

 * ... OUR TRASHED TOWN: Momentum is building in the community to do something about the homeless, the culmination of a growing frustration that government is watching with hands tied as parts of our city are being trashed. And no where is that trashing worse than along the bike path and the Kern River Parkway, which is now home to several hundred homeless who have left the riverbed looking like a scene out of the famous Rio de Janerio slums. And now comes the Kern-Kaweah chapter of the Sierra Club, which has joined the chorus of people complaining that something must be done. "At present much of the river (now far too often a dry riverbed) is being trashed. This includes San Miguel Grove, Uplands of the Kern and, to a lesser extent, Beach and Yokuts Park. San Miguel Grove is a particularly tragic example of what should be a natural open riparian area is strewn with all manner of rash, left by unlawful campers and others using the place for a dump, leaving the area strewn with all manner of waste filth, broken glass and drug related paraphernalia including sharps," Stephen Montgomery of the Sierra Club wrote to Beatris Sanders, chair of the citizens committee overseeing Measure N funding. Montgomery called on the city to set aside money to keep the riverbed clean by hiring more police on bikes to patrol the area, do a better job of cleaning up litter and conducting a longer term study to address issues along the riverbed.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD OBSERVED: My new podcast, Bakersfield Observed with Richard Beene, is up and running, focusing attention every week on an important issue or newsmaker about town. The first two episodes are now up, the first an interview with Lois Henry on how parts of central California are literally sinking because too much water is pumped out of the ground, and the second a chat with Carlos Baldovinos about the ongoing homelessness issue. The next episode will be released Thursday and examine the controversial concept of Critical Race Theory, which proposes a new way of teaching American history with a new emphasis on race, power and privilege. Bakersfield High teacher Jeremy Adams is my guest. Follow the podcast on KERNRADIO.COM, on Spotify or wherever you access your podcasts.

 * ... RIDGE ROUTE: I spotted these pictures of the old Ridge Route on a Facebook page devoted to Highway 99. Not sure of the dates. Enjoy.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: And finally thanks to the Kern County History Fans who posted this picture of a grocer. The cutline: "1930's - H. H. Close Market... 301 South 10th Street (was then South Lincoln)

Taft, Kern County, California  Proprietor: Herbert Henry Close (1889-1963) Credit to Lawrence Peahl for address and approximate years open.

 

Attorneys preparing to hit former Bakersfield Catholic priest Craig Harrison with two lawsuits alleging he sexually abused two boys

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.

 For the first time since he was suspended from the Catholic Church more than a year ago, former priest Craig Harrison has been hit with two lawsuits alleging he sexually abused two young boys while serving as a priest in the Diocese of Fresno.

 The lawsuits will be announced Wednesday in Fresno during a press conference by Jeff Anderson and Associates, a firm that specializes in child abuse at the hands of Catholic priests. The press conference will begin at 1 p.m. PST at the DoubleTree by Hilton at the Fresno Convention Center.

 According to the attorneys, the two civil child sexual abuse lawsuits will be filed accusing Harrison of sexually abusing the boys as well as Fresno Catholic officials for ignoring and concealed his crimes.

 In a statement by one of the plaintiffs, identified simply as Joseph Doe: he said: “Msgr. Harrison hurt me when I was an altar boy at St. Francis. I was just a kid, and he used his position of power as a priest to abuse me. Msgr. Harrison stole my childhood, and every day since then I have lived with shame. I want the Bishop to start protecting kids. I want the Bishop to stop helping abusers. I want the Bishop to stop keeping secrets about abuse.”

 The statement from the attorneys went on to read: "On April 12, 2019, a survivor made a report of childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by Msgr. Harrison to the Diocese of Fresno. Three days after receipt of this report, the Diocese allegedly contacted the Firebaugh Police Department. Msgr. Harrison was reportedly put on paid administrative leave due to an allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor that occurred decades prior in Firebaugh, California. Since then, two other survivors have come forward alleging childhood sexual abuse by Msgr. Harrison. One of the survivors purportedly previously reported the sexual abuse by Msgr. Harrison in 1998, and again in 2002. The Diocese deemed the allegation unsubstantiated and Msgr. Harrison continued his priesthood. A survivor who has alleged sexual abuse against Msgr. Harrison is a Catholic monk that referred to Msgr. Harrison as a mentor and felt compelled to come forward after hearing other allegations."

 These lawsuits mark the first time since his suspension that Harrison has been targeted by alleged victims. Up to this point, it has been Harrison filing the lawsuits: including one against the Diocese of Fresno for defamation, and two other defamation lawsuits against former monk Ryan Gilligan (he has not filed suit against Harrison but has submitted damming statements against him) and an organization that tracks wayward priests, known as the Roman Catholic Faithful.

 The attorneys also are putting pressure on the Diocese, and on Bishop Joseph Brennan, to reveal a list of "credibly accused priests." 

 "After decades of pressure, " the attorneys said, "the vast majority of US bishops have posted on church websites the names of and often some details about proven, admitted, and credibly accused predatory clerics. Unfortunately, the Diocese of Fresno is one of sixteen Catholic Dioceses in the United States yet to publish a list of credibly accused clergy. Many consider this long-overdue step to be the bare minimum church officials should do to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded."

  Now out of the church, Harrison has been busy trying to rebuild his life and his reputation. He has positioned himself as a life coach and counselor, and has scheduled an appearance at the Fox Theater soon to address an audience of women.

 The filing of the lawsuits against Harrison moves the case into a potentially critical and revealing phase, when details of the alleged encounters with Harrison will be submitted in court in lurid detail while Harrison and his attorneys will attempt to discredit the accusers one by one. Stay tuned.

 

People flock back to local theaters, a bad year for local retail is in the books, California tries to save the dwindling population of Monarch butterflies and Sheriff Donny Youngblood says he will run for office again

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.

 * ... MOVIE THEATERS MUSCLE UP: If you were one of those who believed movie theaters may never rebound from the pandemic and lock down, think again. Across the country people are flocking back to theaters to take in the latest blockbuster, get out of the heat and enjoy a popcorn and a Coke. And no where is that

truer than in Bakersfield where theaters are doing a gang buster's business, and they still are not opened at 100 percent yet. Mike Armandariz, general manager of the Maya Cinemas in downtown Bakersfield, was thrilled to report that movie goers are flocking back to the theaters. "We could not be happier," he told me. And with temperatures hitting 106 and higher, Maya and other local theaters will remain top choices to spend a cool afternoon on a scorching day.

 * ... RIP RETAIL: Running a retail business has never been a walk in the park and the advent of the internet and brand killer companies like Amazon. And then came the pandemic which forced a number of prominent American brands into bankruptcy: Brooks Brothers, Joseph A. Bank, Belk, GNC, J.Crew, Lord and Taylor, Pier 1, Men's Wearhouse and J.C. Penny among others. The best locally owned companies thrive on a strong service ethic and have proved resilient but experts fear there will be a second wave of smaller retailers going out of business as consumers emerge from the pandemic more satisfied that ever with buying their clothes and other goods online.

 * ... MONARCHS AND MILKWEED: With Monarch butterflies facing eventual extinction, the state of California has launched an ambitious effort to plant 600 acres of milkweed statewide. Milkweed is known for being a "mega food market for insects," attracting more than 500 types of insects drawn to its sap, leaves and flowers. But not all types of milkweed are acceptable. According to a report in The New York Times: "Well intentional locals in California's cities have started planting tropical milkweed in their gardens in an effort to help the monarchs. However, tropical milkweed is not native to California and doesn't die out in winter, which confuses the monarchs' migratory patterns."  Locally, various types of milkweed are being planted in the Panorama Vista Preserve at the base of the Panorama bluffs to provide food and nutrients for the monarchs.

* ... DONNY YOUNGBLOOD: Sheriff Donny Youngblood has announced he will run for re-election, and now let me tell you why I believe that is a good thing. First, Youngblood has been a steady, consistent voice for law enforcement in Kern County, and he has displayed remarkable resilience and agility dealing with a host of challenges on his watch. Officer involved shootings, fatal car wrecks involving deputies, corruption, they have all been on his watch and he has handled each of them accordingly. Full disclosure: I urged Youngblood to run again. With the world in turmoil - police shootings, Black Lives Matter, recriminations, the movement to defund the police, the notorious "woke" culture in society - Youngblood would best serve the community by running for another term. Youngblood is now 70 and was first elected to office in 2006. He says he still has the passion, is in top physical shape and will offer himself up for another four years. That is good news. (photo by Alex Horvath of The Bakersfield Californian)

* ... BAKERSFIELD OBSERVED: Yearning for a better life and weary of the crime and corruption with his native Honduras, a young man named Carlos packed up his family and moved to the United States,

determined to set his family on a better course for happiness. If this sounds familiar, it is the echo-chamber soundtrack of why so many people flee their homes in Central America and try desperately to get to America, only in this case it was all done legally, and we are all off better for it. The man in question is Carlos Baldovinos, father of his son and namesake who now runs The Mission of Kern County. "I did it all legally, and I am glad I did," he told me. "I would not have done it any other way." The subject of immigration - both illegal as it seen on the border and legal as is displayed in the case of the Baldovinos family - is the topic of the Bakersfield Observed with Richard Beene podcast being released later this week on Spotify and other podcast platforms. Access the interview there or on KERNRADIO.COM where a link to it will be posted. (father-son photo of Carlos Baldovinos and son)

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this picture from back in 1925 at DiGiorgio Farms, thanks to the Facebook page Kern County History Fans.

 * ... MORE MEMORIES: Finally here is a valentine to all you West High graduates. A picture of your campus back in the day.

Kern Board of Supervisors considers a new tax to clean up after vagrants, the super moon woos the world, and a new Bakersfield Observed podcast makes it debut

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.

 * ... TRASH TAX: Did you see the Kern County Board of Supervisors is looking at a new parcel tax to help pay for all the illegal dumping around town? The idea would be to increase the land use fee charged to property owners to help pay for illegal dumping, an increase expected to generate some $6 million a

year. But is this fair to the property owners, who often already bear the brunt of ridding their properties of illegal trash and debris? The problem here clearly is not the property owners but the legions of homeless and vagrants and residents who feel free to use our community as their personal dumping ground.

 * ... STOLEN ASHES: A security alert from a Ring security doorbell lamented a car break-in in Oildale this week. Among the items stolen: the ashes from a "despised husband." That's right, the alert noted that among the items stolen were "a brown purse, with wedding set, black watch, red knife and ashes from despised husband inside."

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Baby shark implies the existence of Ginger Shark, Scary Shark, Posh Shark and Sporty Shark

 * ... BLOOD MOON: Did you spot the super moon this week? It was bright and reddish and spectacular, but not quite as spectacular as this picture taking by Bakersfield resident Debi Bozanich from her second home in Cabo San Lucas. Enjoy.

 * ... NEW PODCAST: The Richard Beene Show on KERN NewsTalk Radio has been retired and has now evolved into a podcast. My goal is the same: to provide in-depth interviews with Kern County newsmakers about a variety of subjects, but all local. The inaugural podcast features former Californian columnist Lois Henry, who is now devoting her time to a blog (SJVWATER.ORG) covering the politics of water in Californian. On this first podcast Henry talks about how some areas of the Central Valley are

literally sinking after years of farmers pumping water out of the group. An excerpt: "Subsidence is the technical term for the phenomenon — the slow-motion deflation of land that occurs when large amounts of water are withdrawn from deep underground, causing underlying sediments to fall in on themselves.

 Each year, Corcoran’s entire 7.47 square miles and its 21,960 residents sink just a little bit, as the soil dips anywhere from a few inches to nearly two feet. No homes, buildings or roads crumble. Subsidence is not so dramatic, but its impact on the town’s topography and residents’ pocketbooks has been significant. And while the most recent satellite data showed Corcoran has only sunk about four feet in some areas since 2015, a water management agency estimates the city will sink another six to 11 feet over the next 19 years." Access the podcast via the KERNRADIO.COM website.

 * ... BITWISE: The Fresno based company Bitwise is wrapping up its renovation of the old Turk's copy building across 18th Street from the old Padre Hotel. The color scheme is stunning.

 * ... MEMORIES: Thanks to the Kern County History Fans for this "now and then" picture of a property downtown. "Then & Now ... 1920's - C. N. Johnston Auto & Truck Repair... 1000 18th Street

Bakersfield, Kern County, California."