Welcome to California where a budget deficit goes from a $100 billion surplus to a $22 billion deficit, the much awaited "superbloom" of wildflowers is under way officials expect record number of deaths in the Kern River

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.

 * ... CALIFORNIA OR BUST: Ah to live in California, where yesterday's budget surplus is today's deficit. It seemed like yesterday when the state had a budget surplus of some $100 billion, but thanks to

inflation and a slowing economy we now face a deficit of $22.5 billion. That is a $125 billion swing in the states finances over 12 months and experts blame it on California's dependency on taxing the rich. As the economy slows and people earn less on their investments, tax revenue dwindles. Gov. Gavin Newsom is now looking at ways to close the deficit by cutting child programs and reducing funding for some climate change initiatives. Meanwhile, the median value of a home in California is $719,000 while in Texas (where many Golden State residents flee) stands at $289,000.

 * ... THE DEADLY KERN: The old sayings warns that death and taxes are the only two things in life you can count on, but you can add this: we can expect more deaths this year in the swollen Kern River. Outside of Bakersfield, and even as close as Los Angeles, people view the Kern River as a day-tip getaway to enjoy the cool water of a fresh river. But they aren't expecting the record snowmelt to swell an already dangerous river, and as Steven Mayer noted in The Californian, officials say the number of drownings is expected to spike this year. Already some 317 people have lost their lives in the river, and that number will likely increase as the temperatures rise and the snow melts.

 * ... SENIOR CREDIT: Here's some rich data on home ownership, age and credit. According to the New York Times, the wealth of most older adults is tied up in real estate. Among homeowners aged 65 to 74, home equity represented about 47 percent of their net work in 2019. For those over the age of 75, it jumps to 55 percent. For black homeowners over the age of 62, it accounted for about 75 percent of their net worth. And yet, federal data shows that banks are wary of lending to seniors even if their credit scores are beyond reproach.

 * ... WILDFLOWERS AND MORE: And once again we bring you some of our outstanding citizen photographers who are capturing some amazing wildflower and other shots around the state. The first two shots, including one from the Carrizo Plain, are by Jojo Parades Butingan, followed by Pam Taylor's cool shot of the moon setting, then a shot by Christy Morgan at Windwolves Preserve and Michele Morgan-Brown Magyar. And lastly, Landon Peppel gives us this wonderful shot of wildflowers out at Windwolves.

 

* ... ANTELOPE VALLEY: And if you really want to see some wildflowers, check out these blooms in the Antelope Valley. These pictures and this incredible shot of the Pacific Ocean appeared on the "My Home is California" Facebook page.

 

* ... MEMORIES: From the vault of the Kern County History Fans comes this old picture of the Morris department store downtown. And lastly check out the old St. Francis church located downtown before the 1951 earthquake destroyed it.

High drama is being playing out as farmers and governments spar over the re-emerging Tulare Lake, a class of new county firefighters graduates and celebrating Ricochet the famous surfing dog

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.

 * ... POWER, INFLUENCE AND WATER: Keep an eye on the tug-of-war among farmers and local governments out where Tulare Lake is re-emerging after the deluge of local rains. Thousands of acres of prime farmland is now under water or about to be under water, and how this plays out could affect both farmers (who stand to lose their crops) and residents of smaller valley communities (who stand to lose their towns to flooding). There isn't a better place to follow this story than San Joaquin Valley Water
(SJVWater.org or https://tinyurl.com/39m9apz5), a non-profit run by investigative journalist Lois Henry who is not afraid to speak truth to power. Already the huge farming conglomerate J.G. Boswell has reported Lois to the local sheriff's department for the mere infraction of asking for a quote. This story will only grow in importance - and don't expect Lois Henry or SJVWater.org to back down - as time goes on and the melting snowmelt brings more water to the valley, and the emerging Tulare Lake.

* ... MORE TULARE LAKE: The story of Tulare Lake captured the attention of The New York Times, which put the sheer size of the lake in perspective: "The lake is essentially at 790-square-mile bathtub - the side of four Lake Tahoes - that dates back to the Ice Age. Mammoths once sipped at Tulare Lake's shores, and tule elk ranged in its marshlands."

 * ... THE BEAUTY OF WHERE WE LIVE: More beauty to share of our valley from local photographers. Let's start with two shots out near the Taft prison by Pam Taylor, followed by another remarkable shot by Taylor of Mount Able. Then we have two pictures by JoJo Paredes Butingan (how about those wildflowers near Woody?), Gabby Osdale provides a lovely picture of the Kern River and Landon Peppel closes it out with a sunset over water.

 * ... RIP RICOCHET: Did you hear Ricochet, the amazing surfing therapy dog from San Diego, died recently at the age of 15? That's the word from the Los Angeles Times who said the golden retriever had been diagnosed with liver cancer in August and passed away Friday. Said the Times: "Ricochet was raised to be a service dog, but the energetic pup was more fond of chasing birds than assisting with household chores...Throughout her life, the beloved dog touched the lives of kids with special needs, wounded service members and families of fallen veterans. Ricochet was known as an affectionate companion, a shameless belly-rub beggar and had an intuition for people who needed a cuddle." (Los Angeles Times photo)

 * ... NEW FIREFIGHTERS: Kern County graduated a new class of firefighters this week and they will be reporting to their respective stations almost immediately. Among the graduates was Colin Ames, son of Sam and Andrea Ames and shown here with his proud mother.

* ... MEMORIES: Take a look at this old postcard that shows where the old Sears store was on 19th Street near the Kress Building. Thanks to the folks over at Kern County History Fans for this one.

A new poll finds Americans are less patriotic and religious and also are less likely to tolerate others, Stockdale High's uber successful debate team and will the ancient Tulare Lake be recreated by the rainstorms?

 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.

 * ... OUR CHANGING WORLD: Sometimes it seems the world is in turmoil, and nothing reflects that better an annual University of Chicago and Wall Street Journal poll that takes the pulse of what is

important to Americans. And chances are you might not like what it found. First the bad news: patriotism, religious faith, having children and other bedrock priorities are no longer so important. Today, just 38 percent of the respondents said patriotism was really important to them and 39 percent said religious was equally important. In 1998 when the same survey was conducted, 70 percent said patriotism was important and 62 percent said religion was important. And here is another bad trend: "confidence in others" was deemed very important by 80 percent of the respondents two years ago and today, it has shrunk to just 58 percent.

 * ... BAKERSFIELD MARATHON: Were you among the thousands that lined the streets to cheer on the Bakersfield Marathon, or were you among a cranky minority who got stuck in your homes when streets closed along the route? First the good news: the race was a huge success and the weather was cooperated, yet once again folks along the route complained about the lack of notice that their streets or neighborhoods would be closed. We have passed the time where the marathon should be a surprise and instead we should be cheering an event that shows off the best of our city. If it was a mess, it was a glorious mess.

 * ... STOCKDALE DEBATE: If you want to feel good about something look no farther than Stockdale High School and its phenomenally successful debate team, which recently won its 10th consecutive Central Valley speech and debate championship. (photo courtesy of The Bakersfield Californian)

 * ... TULARE LAKE: All eyes are on the "resurgence" of Tulare Lake, the old lake bed that existed for thousands of years until the Kern River was damned and water diverted for agricultural uses. Here is a good explanation of the Tulare Lake and a couple of old pictures: "Then and Now, the Tulare Lake south of Kansas Avenue, Kings County, California.  Then image taken in 1938.  Now image taken earlier this week.  I've always said that the Tulare Lake will return, it just needed Mother Nature to remind everyone who's in charge.  The lake existed for tens of thousands of years as the drainage point for the Kings, Kaweah and Tule Rivers, along with numerous other creeks such as Cross, St. John's, Cameron, Deer and White.  It's going to be an interesting year."

 * ... MOSQUITOES: With all this rain we have had you can expect a huge mosquito season this year. Experts are warning this could be the worst mosquito season in years in Kern County.

 * ... OUR WORLD: Here are some more pictures taken by our citizen photographers about town. The first is by Jim Eggert, the second of a snow capped Mt. Able was shot by Pam Taylor, and  the third another beautiful photo by JoJo Paredes Butingan. The picture of the snow on Interstate 80 is provided by the CHP.

 * ... MEMORIES: John Kelley is a local historian who regularly shares his rich collection of photos and knowledge of our area. Here, John shares three pictures of an old 76 gas station that once stood mid way up the Grapevine headed south toward Los Angeles. Enjoy these amazing pictures.

The diminutive French Bulldog is now top dog in America, weather caster Alissa Carlson has a scary fall and we celebrate all of our citizens photographers with some awesome pictures of our green valley

 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.

 * ... ALISSA CARLSON: By now almost everyone has seen the scary tape of TV weather anchor Alissa Carlson fainting at her desk. Carlson is a former KGET employee who had a long and favorable run in

Bakersfield and recently left to work at KCAL in Los Angeles. Last week, while live, Carlson's eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted. Carlson assures us everything is fine, but the video was difficult to watch.

 * ... NATURE'S WORK: The intense rain storms that have blanketed California have made for some spectacular moments for citizen photographers. The first was taken by Brandon Taggart in Kernville, the second by Pam Taylor out near Taft and the third and fourth by Jojo Paredes Butingan. Finally, John  Kelley treats us to some wildflowers he captured off Highway 46 with the last two pictures.

 * ... FRENCH BULLDOG:  For years the regal and lovable Labrador Retriever has held the top spot in the hearts of America's dog lovers. But now there is a new top dog in town, the diminutive French Bulldog. The new most popular dog was crowned this year when the American Kennel Club reported that the French  Bulldog and moved into top spot among dog lovers. The French Bulldog has been steadily climbing the AKC’s rankings over the last decades, hitting No. 14 in 2012. In 2021, the breed held the No. 2 spot, behind the popular labs but ahead of Golden Retrievers.

 * ... TULARE LAKE: In the aftermath of the string of rainstorms there is a lot of discussion about the old Tulare Lake bed, which was home to wildlife and native Americans years before the west was settled and the water damned and claimed by agriculture. Thanks to my friend Sylvia Cattani I am attached this explanation of the old lake, and how the record precipitation may be bringing it back.

 "A lot of the younger generation have no idea that the area west of Corcoran was once Tulare Lake, the largest fresh water lake west of the Great Lakes. It would be filled by the Kern, Kaweah and Tule rivers. The last 2 times it flooded enough to see Tulare Lake was 1983 and 1997. Going further back, The Tachi tribe, or Tachi Yokuts, once thrived with a population of 70,000 living on the banks of Tulare Lake, prior to the American and Spanish colonist settling. In 1849 the lake was 570 square miles and 690 square miles in 1879. There was a huge market for fish from the lake that would ship through Hanford to the Bay Area. Settlers started settling and started diverting the water for Ag and Municipal uses. The lake was nearly dry by 1900. In 1938, heavy rains flooded the San Joaquin Valley causing the levee to break near Corcoran and flood 28,000 acres of farm land. With this incident and a repeat flood in 1955, it prompted the construction of the Terminus Dam on the Kaweah River forming Lake Kaweah, and Success Dam on the Tule River forming Lake Success.  A lot of the water was diverted for multiple reasons including a large amount being diverted to the Los Angeles area. Bottom line, so much water was diverted that Tulare Lake, the once bustling eco system with elk, deer, antelope, marine life and countless other resources, disappeared over time. Who knows, we may get a peak at Tulare Lake again."

 * ... MEMORIES: Who remembers the Union Avenue plunge? Enjoy this old photo thanks to the Kern County History Fans Facebook page.

 * ... OILFIELDS: And finally we have this undated aerial view of the Sunset oilfield around 1910, courtesy of the Kern County of Old.

Water level at Lake Isabella rises amid predictions we will have water in the river through the summer, a former priest has a bad day in court and Bakersfield loses two prominent businessmen and notables

 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.

 * ... LAKE ISABELLA: All this rain is finally having a positive impact on filling some of the states reservoirs, which were drained dangerously low during the long drought. Closer to home the rains almost doubled the amount of water stored at Lake Isabella, going from a low of about 135,000 acre feet to

around 265,000 acre feet now. Mark Mulkay, Kern Water Master, told KGET it was "a once-in-a-generation event that’s going to happen this year. There’s going to be a lot of water in the river all year long.” Mulkay said. Depending on the depth of the water in the river, that means we could be seeing a lot of kayaking, canoeing and swimming this summer along the Kern River through town. (file photo of Lake Isabella)

 * ... GOOD NEWS? Is there finally some good news for our beleaguered downtown? Did the powers at be finally listen to the people and businesses who have been crying for help for years? Hopefully that answer is a firm yes now that the City Council has authorized city staff to  place bids on 13 different properties that are deemed eyesores, and potential fire hazards. This is a terrific start and it deserves our applause, but we should all be aware that the city may need to pony up yet more money to buy and refurbish these old properties. It's a start in the right direction.

 

 * ... CRAIG HARRISON COURT LOSS: It has been a bad - and expensive - week for Craig Harrison following yet another loss in court, the latest setback for the embattled former monsignor who is fighting allegations he spent part of his career as a repeated abuser. Harrison and his civil defense team, led by local attorney Craig Edmonston, have been ordered to pay $219,800 in attorney costs after their defamation lawsuit against Stephen Brady was tossed out of court. Brady was among a handful of people that Harrison sued for defamation, and so far his defense team has struck out in court, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees without a single win show for their efforts. In addition to the lawsuit against Brady, Harrison's defamation lawsuit against former monk Ryan Gilligan was also thrown out of court. If Harrison is ordered to pay those attorney fees as well, he could be on the hook for almost a half million dollars in fees. And all this before Harrison even steps foot in trial to defend two civil lawsuits from men who claim to have been abused by the former priest. Those cases, and thousands of dollars in attorney fees, are making their way through the courts. Edmonston told KGET it is unlikely Harrison can pay the fees. “He spent his entire life in the church, and he was compensated slightly above subsistence,” the attorney said. While that may be true, Harrison's lifestyle has been anything but subsistence level. He lives in a downtown home valued at more than $700,000 (owned by supporters) routinely posts pictures of himself on an oceanview property on the central coast and often takes long excursions to Italy with friends. Stay tuned to see how all that plays out in court. (file photos of Harrison and Craig Edmonston)

 * ... REST IN PEACE: Our community has lost some good people lately, business men and women and community members whose individual sweat and toil helped make Bakersfield a better place. Some of these names may not be familiar, but each deserves a recognition for being part of the fabric of a community we call home.

  HENRY MARTIN "MARTY" MAYFOHRT Jr.: Marty Mayfohrt lost his battle with cancer on March 10 after spending a lifetime raising his family and working in the San Joaquin Valley. He was a graduate of West High and CSUB and worked as an accountant with Lou Barbich and Geoff King before he got "the car bug" and became general manager of Bill Wright Toyota and later Family Motors. In 2000 Marty realized a lifelong dream and purchased the Madera Auto Center and moved to Clovis where he lived with his wife, Lela, and daughters Lauren and Michelle. A proud graduate of CSUB, Marty was a member of the downtown Rotary Club, Seven Oaks Country Club and other civic organizations. He was 68. Marty is shown here with his wife, Lela.

 JOHN  BROCK JR. A descendant of the family that ran the famous Brock's Department store, John Brock Jr. was a lifelong resident of Bakersfield and a prominent member of the business community. After his family sold the department store Brock joined Gregory Bynum and Associates in 1988 where he was integral in hundreds of developments around down. John graduated with a BA degree from Stanford and a Master's degree in business administration from the University of Southern California. A true gentleman with a soft touch and dry wit, John is shown with his wife, Ginette. John was 75 years ago.

 * ... MEMORIES: From the archives of the Kern County History Fans' page on Facebook comes this look at Guarantee Shoe Center over the years.