Bakersfield Observed

Thursday, August 12, 2021

FDA is set to recommend a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine for those with compromised immune systems, Dr. Ravi Patel to be honored as the recipient of the John Brock award and expect the real estate market to remain hot, hot, hot into next year

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.

* ... THIRD DOSE: The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve a third dose of the

coronavirus vaccine for those people who have compromised immune systems. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser, said that for those with compromised immune systems, the need is "so imminent to make sure that we get them boosted so that they would be in a protected zone." The decision to allow a third dose would come from the Food and Drug Administration, which is expected as early as this week to extend its emergency use authorization on vaccines to allow an additional dose. Roughly 3% of Americans have an immune system that has been made weaker due to disease, certain medical treatments or organ transplants. For most people, a booster would mean a third dose of vaccine.

* ... HOT HOUSING MARKETS: If you thought the housing market was hot this year and last, just wait. That's the word from a national research firm that ranked the hottest housing markets for next year (2022), including what percentage the prices may rise in the next year. Hold on because these numbers are staggering: Riverside (21 percent); Las Vegas (23 percent), Boise (23 percent), Salt Lake City (23 percent), Spokane (24 percent), San Jose (24 percent), San Diego (24 percent), Ogden, Utah (25 percent), Phoenix (26 percent), Provo, Utah (28 percent), Fort Myers, Florida (28 percent) and Austin (37 percent).

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "My life is a delicate balance of functional alcoholism and OCD. Some days I wake up from a blackout to a spotless house."

* ... RAVI PATEL: Good news for one of our local doctors: oncologist Dr. Ravi Patel will be honored as the recipient of the John Brock Community Service Award. Patel, founder of the Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center, will receive theaward during a recognition dinner on Sept. 9 at Seven Oaks Country Club. Patel is one of the most successful, and popular, doctors in the community and he has been instrumental in building CBCC into one of the most respected medical facilities in town.

* ... MOJAVE: This lovely old picture, taken from the Kern County of Old Facebook page, shows a woman looking out a building on Main Street in Mojave (Highway 14) looking at the train depot and the Silver Queen mountain in the background.

Friday, August 6, 2021

Diocese of Fresno: former Bakersfield priest Craig Harrison is among 37 priests facing charges of sexual abuse that appear to be true and credible

The Diocese of Fresno has released a list of 37 priests who are facing "credible" charges of sexual abuse that church investigators say appear to be true.

And among those priests is Craig Harrison, the former Bakersfield monsignor and head of St. Francis Parish who has been accused by multiple men of sexual abuse over a 30 year period while serving as a priest in Firebaugh, Merced and Bakersfield.

The Fresno Diocese has been one of the last in California to release the list of "credibly accused" priests, and it comes at a time when Harrison has been trying to rebuild his life and reputation while his attorneys fend off new lawsuits alleging he abused young men.

Harrison and his lawyers have steadfastly rejected the accusations since he was was first suspended from the church back in April 2019, but his accusers and detractors are expected to point to the list as further evidence that Harrison sexually preyed on young men while serving as a priest.

"You know that our family is far from perfect and like many families, it can be dysfunctional at times," Bishop Joseph V. Brennan said in a statement. "Some members of the family - priests, deacons, and religious in positions of trust and leadership - have behaved badly. That is putting it mildly. Let's face it, acts of abuse upon the innocent and vulnerable are truly evil, plain and simply. The pain, suffering, betrayal, and loss of innocence felt by many victims last a lifetime."

The Diocese said the list was compiled by Kinsale Consulting and the Diocesan Review Board under the leadership of former executive assistant director of the FBI, Kathleen McChesney.

The Diocese said "credibly accused" means any allegation against Harrison and the others "appears to be credible, more likely than not to have occurred."

While the statute of limitations protects Harrison and the others from criminal liability, they remain open to civil lawsuits from accusers. Two civil suits were recently filed against Harrison from men who said Harrison sexually exploited them while they were young men attending church. One lawsuit claims that Harrison assaulted a 13-year-old at St. Francis in 1990. The other claims that Harrison sexually assaulted a teenaged boy over a three-year period in Firebaugh, beginning in 1993.

It is also the first time the Diocese has publicly acknowledged that the allegations against Harrison appear to be true and credible.

The Harrison case has consumed his hometown of Bakersfield since the beginning, and initially few believed that their popular priest could be capable of such lewd behavior. As time wore on, Harrison's attorneys unleashed a series of threats and lawsuits against his accusers and detractors, including one claiming that a former understudy in Bakersfield named Ryan Dixon had slandered him by saying he believed the accusations to be true.

Dixon claimed to have knowledge of Harrison being sexually inappropriate with young men and using his influence to groom young men for abuse by giving them money and doing personal favors for them. While at St. Francis, Harrison and Dixon were inseparable until, according to Dixon, it became clear Harrison was preying on young men.

The lawsuit against Dixon, known as Brother Gilligan when he was studying to become a monk, is pending but Dixon called today's development a "vindication" for the accusers.

"This is the first time in two years that the Diocese of Fresno has publicly acknowledged Harrison being credibly accused," Dixon said. "All we've heard until this point is a one sided story. This is vindication for a lot of young men."

Dixon has not filed any civil action against Harrison but did cooperate with Diocese investigators during the investigation.

The Diocese said the investigators reviewed more than 2,800 religious and clergy files dating back to the early 1900s.

"The names identified to have allegations of sexual abuse of a minor in this file review were then provided to the Diocesan Review Board who during a year and a half period reviewed to the extent possible all reasonable, available, relevant information and reached the opinion that the allegation appeared to be credible, i.e., more likely than not to be true," the Diocese said in a statement.

* photo credit: Top photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian. Below, Dixon and Harrison during happier times.

Kyle Humphrey, one of Harrison's defense attorneys, released this statement following the church's release of its credibly accused list.

"While the Bishop’s profound lack of integrity is a tragedy for the faithful, we are not surprised to see him follow through on his outrageous threats of vindictive retaliation against Craig. As we previously warned everyone, the Bishop made it clear to us that despite there being no new evidence, if Craig did not shut down his business and disappear from public life, the Bishop would baselessly add him to the list of credibly accused priests. To be clear, we previously confirmed with the Church that at the conclusion of its investigation, Craig was NOT on this list and there was no intention by the Church to add him to this list. Since then, there has been no new information and no support whatsoever for the claim that the accusations are credible. To this date, the Bishop has refused to interview Craig or review any of the overwhelming evidence proving his innocence. Craig remains innocent, all information available to us supports his innocence, all information available to the Church supports his innocence, and the Bishop remains the same immoral actor he has been since the beginning of his tenure. This is nothing new."

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Local radio shot host Ralph Bailey suffers a broken jaw in a fight at KC Steakhouse, Louis Gill resigns as head of the homeless center and the Wasco City Council removes Alex Garcia as mayor

* ... ALEX GARCIA: The Wasco City Council has voted to strip Mayor Alex Garcia of his title after

Garcia was cited for driving under the influence. The vote was 4-1 with Garcia objecting. Garcia claimed the move was in retaliation for his proposal to fly the LGBQT flag over Wasco City Hall, while his critics said it was a matter of personal responsibility. Garcia will remain on the City Council through the end of his term and has since pleaded no contest to reckless driving in exchange for the court dismissing a charge of driving while under the influence and acquitting him of a related charge of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent.

* ... LOUIS GILL RESIGNS: Louis Gill, one of the most prominent local players in the battle against homelessness, is leaving the nonprofit that operates the Bakersfield Homeless Center and the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault. Gill has served as head of the homeless center for 21 years and he said it was time to move on. Gill's move immediately triggered speculation he may run for local office, although he has not said what may be next in line. Local Democrats have been privately hoping Gill might consider a run for office.

* ... MORE TROUBLE FOR RALPH BAILEY: Longtime local radio talk show host Ralph Bailey has found himself embroiled in another late night controversy, once again involving his birthday celebration and KC Steakhouse, Bailey's favorite cocktail lounge. This time it happened over the weekend when Bailey, out with two friends to celebrate his 58th birthday, suffered a broken jaw when he was punched during an altercation on the dance floor involving a waitress and another customer. Grainy security footage appears to show Bailey headed to the dance floor with the waitress, but once there another man steps in to dance with the woman. Words are then exchanged, Bailey is pushed, Bailey reacts by grabbing a bar stool and then the unidentified patron punches Bailey twice before a crowd separated the two men. Bailey said he broke his jaw and it will be surgically repaired on Thursday. Ironically, it was during the same birthday weekend in 2013 that Bailey once again found himself at KC Steakhouse before he was arrested for public intoxication while walking home. Bailey also pleaded no contest to DUI after a 2006 arrest on E Street near 20th Street and in September 2005 he was charged with DUI and ended up pleading no contest to reckless driving. Bailey currently does not drive, opting instead to use ride sharing services. The Ralph Bailey Show airs weekdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on KERN NewsRadio 96.1 FM/1180 AM.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I’m on a plant based diet, and right now my favorite plant is the one where they manufacture the Tyson chicken nuggets. "

* ... ALL THE HATE: A sign of the times: of all the competition in the Olympics this year, few teams have proved more controversial with some U.S. fans than the U.S. women's soccer team, whose two losses eliminated the team from the Gold medal round. The face of the women's soccer team is none other than Megan Rapinoe, whose fondness for bending the knee during the national anthem has incurred so much wrath among some Americans. After the U.S. women lost to Canada, the internet exploded with anti-Rapinoe vitriol.

* ... MISSING: Did you read the story in The Californian about the search for two men who appeared in the newspaper more than 20 years ago at the California Living Museum (CALM)? Steven Mayer writes the museum is trying to locate the two young men - identified in the photo caption as Zach Elliott and J.J. Thomas - to recreate the photo two decades later.

* ... MEMORIES: I spend far too much time on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page where contributors share historic photos and postcards like the ones here. Enjoy.

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Los Angeles City Council passes tough new anti-camping bill to control homelessness, Kern County mourns the death of a deputy and will your employer require vaccinations for the coronavirus?

* ... HOMELESS: Kudos to the Los Angeles City Council which approved a new anti-camping ordinance to clean up long-standing homeless encampments. The ordinance prohibits sitting, sleeping or storing

property on public property near libraries, parks, day-care centers, schools, freeway overpasses, recently opened homeless shelters and other locations. Make no mistake this is not the solution, but it is a solid start that should get the attention of Bakersfield and Kern County officials who have been struggling to control homelessness. As harsh as it sounds, our efforts here have failed despite millions of dollars, new homeless facilities and a lot of attention. If Los Angeles can do it, what is our excuse here?

* ... DEPUTY KILLED: The Bakersfield community is still reeling from the shooting death of a Kern County deputy who was serving on the SWAT team when he was gunned down while responding to a

domestic dispute in Wasco. It's a heart breaking story that led to the death of Phillip Campas, 35, a five year sheriff's deputy who had served with the Marines in Afghanistan. Four other people died in the shootout including the gunman, who had shot and killed two of his sons and their mother before officers arrived. The shooter was identified as Jose Manuel Ramirez Jr., 41, who is suspected of killing his partner, Viviana Ramirez, and two of their sons along with Campas. Ramirez faced three misdemeanor charges related to the battery of a spouse and willful cruelty for a child. KGET said the charges stem from two 2020 incidents which law enforcement documents say involved physical confrontations between Ramirez and Viviana, who told police at the time they had been married for more than 20 years.

* ... VACCINATIONS: So did you hear that the Cal State system will require its 500,000 students and faculty to be vaccinated for the coronavirus this fall? The move is the latest as private companies and public agencies, including the state, figure out how to handle the resurging pandemic. The Washington Post, Google and Facebook did something similar this week. Is your company next?

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "No one told me that marriage would include so much time listening to the sound of someone’s spoon clanking against the inside of a bowl."

* ... KAELYN PETERSON: Big news over at the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce where Kaelyn Peterson has been promoted to executive vice president and also head of the Chamber's political action committee. Peterson is a graduate of California State University Bakersfield and has been on a trajectory to take her into the top tiers of Chamber leadership. Are they positioning her if Chamber CEO Nick Ortiz ever leaves or retires? Time will tell.

* ... MEMORIES: Thanks to the Facebook groups highlighting Kern County history, I share a couple of remarkable posts. Enjoy.

Thursday, July 22, 2021

KBAK sports anchor Greg Kerr undergoes heart surgery, Sheriff Donny Youngblood gets a star on the Fox Theater walk of fame and Bakersfield ranks poorly in a survey of less educated cities

* ... GREG KERR: Greg Kerr, the dean of local sportswriters over at KBAK TV, has revealed he under went heart surgery recently at Memorial Hospital. Kerr noted the event in a personal note on his Facebook page, which he used to thank the Memorial nurses and doctors as well as his cardiologist, Dr. Caleb

Thompson. Said Kerr: "Your mind goes in a million different directions when something like this occurs. Looking forward to my release. A special thanks to my employers and co-workers at KBAK TV and ESPN radio… and to my son, Kyle who spent many hours by my side. I am truly blessed!" Four years ago Kerr lost his wife, Shauna Leigh, to cancer.

* ... HISTORIC FOX THEATER: Sometimes you run across a picture that is so outstanding you just want to share. So with thanks to the photographer, my friend Richard Joseph Forrester, I share his recent shot of the historic Fox Theater downtown. Enjoy.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Jeff Bezos went to outer space and returned to earth in less time than I have been in line at Dutch Brother's Coffee."

* ... LEAST EDUCATED: Another survey of the top 150 American cities is out and once again Bakersfield does not fare well. Of the 150 cities surveyed, we ranked 146th in the percent of graduate or professional degree holders and 136th in the ranking of cities who send their kids of top universities.

* ... YOUNGBLOOD HONORED: Sheriff Donny Youngblood was honored with a star on the Fox Theater walk of fame, Joining Youngblood for the unveiling were District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, state Sen. Shannon Grove and friends and family.

* ... MEMORIES: Some old shots thanks to the proliferation of Facebook groups devoted to local Kern County History. Check out the old Sill building back in the day as well as a historic picture of Lake Buena Vista.

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Kristen Watson joins the CSUB president's office as chief of staff, more help to clean up litter and trash along the bike trail and did you know gypsies are offended by the name given to the gypsy moth?

* ... KRISTEN WATSON: Here's an interesting development: the new chief of staff reporting to CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny is an outsider to academia: Dr. Kristen Watson now head of the Kern

Community Foundation. Watson is replacing Michael Lukens who is returning to Fresno State where he served with Zelezny before her own appointment. Watson, a first-generation college graduate, earned her bachelor’s degree in business from California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) San Luis Obispo and obtained a CPA certification. She also earned a doctorate in education from the University of California, Los Angeles. Universities often like to promote their own, someone from inside the bubble of academia, but Watson brings real world experience and important personal connections to the president's office.

* ... GYPSY MOTH: It's always fun to deal with the latest excesses in our woke culture, and now comes word that the lowly gypsy moth will be renamed because some people feel it may be offensive to Romanian gypsies. That's right, the gypsy moth’s name has been scrapped by the country’s leading insect identification groups the Entomological Society of America. “It’s an ethnic slur to begin with that’s been rejected by the Romani people a long time ago,’’ said society President Michelle Smith. “Second, nobody wants to be associated with a harmful invasive pest.” So there you have it. Feel better yet?

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Welp, Richard Branson landed safely, but his luggage is headed to Atlanta."

* ... PARKWAY TRASH: Kudos to our City Council for stepping up and creating a full time trash pickup crew for the Kern River Parkway, which has been left in miserable shape by several hundred homeless encampments that have cropped up along the riverbed. Can the crew keep up with the amount of trash generated by those who live along the river? Who knows but it is a good start.

* ... BIRD DOG ART: A new store featuring art from California painters and craftsmen has opened at Tejon Ranch, the first of its kind retailer bringing high-end and original art to the general population. It's called Bird Dog Art and it recently celebrated its grand opening at the Outlets at Tejon. David Gordon, who has worked at both the Arts Council of Kern and the Bakersfield Museum of Art, is the lead creative director of the project. Gordon told me more than 60 artists, most from California, had works on sale at the space.

* ... MEMORIES: One of the more interesting buildings in town is the old bank (now home to The 1800 Restaurant) at the corner of 18th Street and Chester Avenue. Here is a shot when the band converted into another business as seen on the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

* ... MORE MEMORIES: Add this to the collection (once again thanks to the Kern County History Fans) showing the old Redlicks department store before it moved to Chester Avenue. Can you recognize the old building in the new design?

Thursday, July 8, 2021

The California drought is real and it is really bad, some Americans are triggered by the sight of our flag, Rep. Kevin McCarthy is hit by his critics and who abandons a liter of puppies by the side of a road?

* ... THE NEW DROUGHT: It has become painfully clear how serious the new California drought is, and nothing tells the story like these maps from SJVWater.org, the premier source for water and drought related news. SJVWater.org said the information was provided by Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc.

“Right now, there’s still 10,000 to 20,000 acre feet of variability in the (runoff) forecasts,” in the Kings River watershed, said Steve Haugen, Kings River Watermaster. “That may not sound like a lot, but it can mean the difference between some districts being able to run water or not.” In terms of value, that much water could be worth $12.5 million to $25 million considering at least one ag district has set its price at $1,250 per acre foot this year. One thing is for sure: we are in for a long and expensive summer in terms of water use.

* ... THE GRAND OLD FLAG: Apparently there are Americans who are "triggered" into fear or anger by the mere sight of the American flag. That's right, and if that sounds too ludicrous to be true, well think again. In today's woke society we are apparently breeding a generation of Americans who believe flying the flag does not represent freedom and sacrifice, but rather repression, white privilege and violence. Check out this quote from a front page story in the New York Times: "Today flying the flag from the back of a pickup truck or over a lawn is increasingly seen as a clue, albeit an imperfect one, to a person's political affiliation in a deeply divided nation.... What was once a unifying symbol - there is a star for each state, after all - is now alienating to some, its stripes now fault lines between people who kneel while 'The Star Spangled Banner' plays and those for whom not pledging allegiance is an affront."

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Sometimes the best part of my job is having a chair that swivels."

* ... ABANDONED PUPPIES: One of the first things you learn in journalism school is the power of stories about puppies and small children. They will tug at your heart, make you smile or cry, and leave you feeling good. KGET knew that when posting a story about a litter of puppies that was found abandoned in a south Bakersfield neighborhood. One of the pups died, but the others are recovering to the Shelter On the Hill Humane Society in Lebec because Bakersfield shelters are full. The puppies were found on Saint Helens Avenue near Pacheco Road.

* ... MORE WOKE CULTURE: Ready for more woke culture? It appears that rich Americans are surrounded by more trees than poor Americans. Say what? A New York Times essay went to great pains to point out that the wealthy can afford to live in the suburbs with more trees while the poor live in the inner cities. Is anyone surprised by this? Doesn't the mere fact that you live in a dense urban environment mean you will have fewer trees, whether you live on Central Park South or Harlem?

* ... KEVIN MCCARTHY: It wasn't always like this, but Rep. Kevin McCarthy has become the poster child for the liberal left's idea of a sycophantic errand boy former President Donald Trump. McCarthy remains immensely popular in his home district, but his standing in Trump's Republican Party is less certain given the wariness that some GOP hardliners have to accept him as the party leader. A few examples of how McCarthy is being criticized around the country:

* ... MEMORIES: So who remembers Redlick's department store at the corner of Chester and 18th, right across from the 1800 Restaurant? What a grand place it was. Thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page for sharing this post.