The stink over a local orange blossom festival and a fond farewell to Bob Montgomery

 * ... THE STINK OVER ORANGES: It looks like local citrus manager Ben Taft has stirred up a hornet's nest in the small Valley town of Lindsay over his idea for Bakersfield to host its own Orange Blossom Festival. Within a day of Taft floating his idea (read the previous post here) the folks in Lindsay were up in arms, reminding me (and Taft) that Lindsay has had its own orange blossom festival for 77 years and Bakersfield should simply back off. Deanna Pitts, who identified herself as the unofficial historian for the City of Lindsay, asked Taft to come up with another name because "our communities are too close for there not to be confusion." Taft has received literally dozens of emails, some quite nasty in tone, and others imploring Bakersfield not to "steal" an idea that - in their words - has become the lifeblood of the city. Taft is known not only for his quick wit but also for his sarcasm and told me he was moving ahead with a Bakersfield Orange Blossom Festival. He added:

 "And I am sorry that they feel Bakersfield waits in the weeds for the next great idea to escape the city limits just to be stolen by some ne'er-do-well from Kern County."

 Taft added that a simple Google search turns up orange blossom festivals in Riverside, McAllen, Texas, Naples, Florida and a dozen other communities. He added 100 percent of the net proceeds from a Bakersfield event would go to the local Ronald McDonald House and the new pediatric medical center planned for Memorial Hospital. Stay tuned for more fireworks.

 * ... RIP BOB MONTGOMERY: Was saddened to learn this weekend of the death of Bob Montgomery, a longtime Bakersfield businessman and entrepreneur. Montgomery was a founding board member at the old San Joaquin Bank and continued to serve on it until the end came on October 16. He was 89 and a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield, which he faithfully attended. Montgomery grew up of modest means on San Emidio Street, graduated from Kern Union High School (now Bakersfield High School), served in the Navy in World War II and later went on to graduate from Stanford University. He founded Montgomery Drilling Co., a dynamic enterprise that stretched from Nevada to Alaska. Rogers Brandon, the American General Media president who was the San Joaquin chairman at the end, described him this way:

 "Whenever I flew with him and we landed, he'd look at whoever he was with and mutter, 'cheated death again.' He loved the bank and was a founding board member. He loved his family and he loved his Stanford."

* ... FORD'S HOT NEW FUSION: Had a chance to test drive the new Fusion, Ford's hot new hybrid that is helping lead Ford Motor Co.'s revival. The car is simply stunning, inside and out. It's no wonder that the Fusion is selling well in this recessionary economy because it gets more than 40 miles to the gallon. Chad Manning, sales manager over at Jim Burke Ford, tells me the Fusion is sitting on the lot an average of 3.4 days before it sells, compared to 63 days for the entire inventory. Said Chad:

 "Our sales rate would be much higher but the inventory from the factory is limited. Hybrid Fusion production is at capacity and we have much higher demand than the supply fills."

 Local car dealers have had it tough in this economy, along with the rest of us, and we'll never be out of the woods until credit eases and folks start buying new cars and homes again. Here's hoping the Fusion helps lead us out of this mess.

 * ... US AIRWAYS  MAKES MORE CUTS: I read with some trepidation a report in the Wall Street Journal that US Airways is cutting back on a number of routes and laying off another 1,000 people. The story did not give many details but let's hope the popular Bakersfield-Phoenix flights are not affected. Meadows Field already looks like a ghost town during part of the day, and this is something we just don't need. Speaking of Meadows Field, Mel Atkinson of the M.D. Atkinson commercial real estate company told me he spotted ex Meadows general manager Ray Bishop in Rapid City, S.D., of all places, where both were making airline connections. Bishop left Bakersfield to run the airport in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Bako bits: The explosion of homeless in Bako and all the hoopla over a new Target opening

  

* ... THE STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD: I have no statistics to prove it but sure seems like the number of homeless has skyrocketed on our local streets. If you don't work downtown you may not notice it, but a casual mid morning run over to Starbucks on 24th Street or the Rite Aid on H Street can be an eye opening experience. Of course downtown has both the Greyhound bus station and the GET bus depot, as well as the huge Goodwill store on Chester, but it's hard to deny the sharp increase of street people lugging their possessions around the downtown area and meandering on virtually every street corner. The homeless shelters are filled to the brim and if you factor in adults not looking for work or those who have given up on the job search, Kern County's unemployment rate spikes north of 20 percent. All of this adds to more people on the streets, more folks in needs of help and fewer dollars available to provide it.

 * ... A TARGET OPENS AND THE CROWD GOES WILD: What is it about our community that every time a new retailer or restaurant opens we react like we've just won the lottery? Witness the crowds at the new Target over at RiverWalk on Stockdale Highway, which opened earlier this month. It's a nice place no doubt, but you'd think they were giving away Krugerrands the way our community has responded. And it's not like we don't already have three other Targets in town. Of course the same is true for every new restaurant that opens locally: hour-long waits the first three months and a year later they're closed or begging for business. Meanwhile developer Castle and Cooke says it has a signed contract for Panera Bread to move into the building in front of the Target. Panera is a class act but the folks over at locally owned Sequoia Sandwich Shop are not sitting still. Co-owner Jeff Simpson has been testing a new line of panini sandwiches that he may add to his already well diversified and popular menu. Stay tuned.

 * ... ORANGE BLOSSOM FESTIVAL? Gilroy has the Garlic Festival and Pamplona has the Running of the Bulls, so why shouldn't Bakersfield have its own signature event? How about an Orange Blossom Festival? That's the vision of Ben Taft over at the California Fruit Depot who is leading an effort to create something truly unique for Bakersfield. Ben has the energy and drive to do it, but it will all depend on how many sponsors and supporters sign up for the event, which he wants to launch the weekend of March 20, 2010. In his words:

 "Music, concerts, artisans, children's activities, demonstrations, citrus cooking contests, runs, fun walks, bialthlon, half marathon and a 40-mile challenge bike race, BMX events and much more and possibly a lttle less. This will be a comprehensive family/adult friendly event which will be something we can be proud of as a community." 


 If you are interested in participating, either as a sponsor or just to help, call Ben Taft at 661-978-9044 or email him at ben@calfruitdepot.com


  * ... IN MEMORY OF RON FONTAINE: If you're looking for a good cause to support this weekend you might consider the 9th Annual Ron Fontaine Memorial Run being held out at the California Living Museum (CALM) Saturday morning. Ron was a South High teacher and administrator over at the Kern Superintendent of Schools who died in June of 2001. He was an avid runner and longtime member of South Rotary. Pete Elieff, former South Rotary president, says Ron originally conceived of the idea of a run to raise money for local scholarships and more than $100,000 has been generated so far for  local kids. This is a terrific event held out by the Kern River and Lake Ming during a beautiful time of year in our community. If you are interested in registering call Pete at 661-805-8500 or John Lindsay at 661-636-4625. Last year, Pete said $13,800 in scholarship money was awarded to students from South, Ridgeview and Stockdale high schools.

McCarthy: Sgt. 1st Class Robert Keiser personified the American hero

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

"This week was another special week for Kern County. I had the honor of presenting the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously to Sergeant First Class Robert Keiser for outstanding service and heroism during the Korean War.

 "Sergeant First Class Keiser resided in Randsburg, CA with his wife, Pamela, until he passed away in 2009. He was a member of the U.S. Army’s Second Indianhead Infantry Division. On November 30, 1950, he and his division approached a major roadblock of damaged and abandoned American vehicles. Under constant enemy fire, Sergeant First Class Keiser swept forward and personally cleared the roadblock vehicle by vehicle. He loaded the dead and wounded aboard vehicles that could still run and commanded those around him to drive to friendly lines. In a battle that would become known as “The Gauntlet,” Sergeant First Class Keiser’s actions were undoubtedly a decisive factor in saving hundreds of lives.

"Sergeant Keiser was not just a Randsburg cowboy, he was an American hero.
 "Also in Washington, a new statue was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall. What makes this unique is that the person who designed and sculpted this piece was born in Taft and raised in Bakersfield. But in addition to that, this is his second statue that is now displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

 "It was great to see and catch up with Benjamin Victor this week when he stopped by my office. His latest work is a statue of agricultural hero Norman Borlaug, which is one of the two statues in the Capitol for the State of Iowa. Many of us in Kern County know his work in Taft when he sculpted the Taft Oil Workers Monument that was unveiled during the city’s centennial celebration.  And now, hundreds of thousands of visitors in the Capitol each year will also know Ben, who has the distinct honor of being the only living sculptor to have two sculptures in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol (his other being the statue of Paiute activist Sarah Winnemucca for the State of Nevada).

 "Our community is a special place with tremendous people and this week, all of America got to see it.

New York City learns the hard way that most homeless want to remain on the streets, downtown Bakersfield retailers turn to private security to fend off crime and vagrants and sculptor Ben Victor gets some well deserved recognition

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.

 * ... DO THE HOMELESS WANT HELP? One of the more vexing issues facing our city is determining to what extent the thousands of homeless and vagrants actually want real help. Housing for the homeless is in woefully short supply, yet affordable housing remains one of the primary focuses by those charged with getting people off the streets and back on the road to self sufficiency. But what if all

those drug addicts, petty criminals and mentally challenged individuals could care less about finding a roof over their head? What if - gasp - they actually prefer being on the street? Before you dismiss the idea, understand that this is exactly what authorities are finding out in New York City where Mayor Eric Adams has launched a major push to clear the subways and get people off the streets. So far, according to the New York Times, of the hundreds of homeless moved from more than 239 homeless camps, only five have opted to move into shelters. That's right, just FIVE people have agreed to go into a city-run shelter out of hundreds. The others? They just want to stay on the street. This is the reality on the ground, and the sooner the powers that be in Bakersfield realize it, the better off we all will be. Shelter is the way to go for some, but for others it simply isn't realistic.

 * ... DOWNTOWN CRIME: And speaking of the homeless and rampant, out of control crime, you have to feel for all those downtown business people who have been struggling with graffiti, vandalism and petty theft for four years now. So far, the city has failed these businesses miserably, leaving retailers to fend for themselves as they battle chronic lawlessness. And now comes this: the Downtown Business Assn. is experimenting with an idea to have a local private security guards walk the streets downtown, hoping the mere presence of a rent-a-cop will bring order to the streets. Well, it's certainly a better idea than the DBA had a few years ago when its solution was printing cards that retailers could give vagrants telling them where they could get a hot shower and warm meal. That was an astonishing bad idea. The hard truth is this: both the DBA and city have been unable to make a real dent in this problem, and it won't be until the state legislature deals with a series of laws that decriminalized almost everything from heroin to street drugs before things will get better.

 * ... COVID TESTS: If you have not used that free Covid test sent to you by our government, make sure the test kit has not expired. It turns out all these Covid test kits are printed with an expiration date, but be careful because different tests have different expiration dates.

 * ... BEN VICTOR: One of the truly talented people to come out of Bakersfield is Ben Victor, son of Joyce and Doc Victor, and he received some overdue recognition recently by Assemblyman Vince Fong. Victor is an amazing sculptor, and he is the genius behind the Roadrunner sculpture out at CSUB as well as some remarkable work that now grace the halls of our nation's Capitol. Said Fong on his Facebook page: "Honored to be able to give an early surprise recognition to world renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor who is getting inducted into the Foothill High School Hall of Fame this weekend! He is the only living artist to have three sculptures in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol and he is the artistic creator of the Oil Worker Monument in Taft! Amazing work! Victor was just 26 years old when his first statue, Sarah Winnemucca, a Paiute activist in Nevada, was dedicated in the Hall in 2005, making him the youngest artist to ever be represented in the Hall. In 2014, his sculpture of Norman Borlaug, "the father of the Green Revolution," was dedicated in the National Statuary Hall and in 2019, his statue of Chief Standing Bear, a Native American rights leader, was dedicated in the National Statuary Hall making him the only living artist to have three sculptures in the Hall. (a few of Victor's works of art) 

* ... THE NEW AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD: The number of Americans who live in multi-generational households is skyrocketing and demographers say it just may become the norm. Since 1971, the number of us living with relatives has quadrupled. In March, says the New York Times, nearly 60 million people were living "with" multiple generations under one roof. Financial issues and caregiving are the top reasons why we live together, but overall those who do live with relatives are happy about it. "More adults living in multigenerational households say the experience has been positive (30 percent) or somewhat positive (27 percent) than say it has been somewhat negative (14 percent) or very negative (3 percent)," said the Pew Research Center.

 * ... MEMORIES: Enjoy these shots of some of our old hospitals, captured in vintage photos. Thanks to the Kern County History Fans.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy highlights the 23rd Congressional District 2015 Merit Award winners

 Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "As the school year begins to wind down and graduation season approaches, I wanted to highlight a number of the exceptional high school student leaders we have in our community. Each year, I honor

these students with the 23rd Congressional District of California 2015 Merit Award created created to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated exemplary school citizenship, volunteerism, community service, involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership skills and have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Our high school principals were invited to select one outstanding graduating senior per school to receive the 23rd Congressional District of California 2015 Merit Award.



This week I was able to personally recognize these individuals and celebrate their accomplishments. Below are the names of each student:


Miss Olivia Espinoza - Bakersfield Christian High School

 Miss Alexandra Vaughan – Bakersfield High School

 Mr. Timothy Andersen – Centennial High School

 Miss Adriana Alcala – East Bakersfield High School

Miss Ebony Turner – Foothill High School

Mr. Robert Norris – Frontier High School

Mr. John Soper – Garces Memorial High School

Mr. Douglas Johnston – Highland High School

 Miss Amrit Dhillon – Independence High School

Mr. David Mackey – Kern Valley High School

Miss Bailey Slayton – Liberty High School

Miss Kaylee Dunham – Maricopa High School

 Miss Jennifer Hernandez – North High School

Miss Breanna Ramos – Ridgeview High School

Miss Po Tsui – Stockdale High School

Mr. Phuc Nguyen Ngo – Taft Union High School

 Mr. Kasey Brockelsby – Tehachapi High School

 Miss Diana Hurtado – West High School

Miss Laura Koemmpel – Porterville High School

Miss Sarah Vehrs – Granite Hills High School

Mr. Raymundo Lopez – Harmony Magnet Academy

Miss Sabrina Mahal – Monache High School

Miss Josefina Lopez – Strathmore High School

Miss Stephanie De La Melena – Lancaster High School

Miss Darlene Mendoza – Desert Christian High School

Miss Melody Mendez – Quartz Hill High School

Mr. Austin Leonardo – Rosamond High School

Miss Monica Gonzalez – Mojave High School

Miss Erica Tyson – Desert High School

Miss Ellyse Adamczyk – California City High School

Miss Joelle Steichen – Sherman E. Burroughs High School

Mr. Keith Core – Boron High School


Each student was also asked to select a teacher that inspired them and here are the educators they chose to recognize. We thank the teachers in our community that work so hard for our children.


Mr. Frank Thiessen - Bakersfield Christian High School

 Ms. Clair Richards – Bakersfield High School

 Mr. Ryan Coleman – Centennial High School

 Mr. Brad Sanders– East Bakersfield High School

Mr. Wade Tavorn – Foothill High School

Ms. Nicole Nelson – Frontier High School

Mrs. Cheryl Rhodes – Garces Memorial High School

Mr. Geoffrey Ruud – Highland High School

 Mrs. Kip Glazer – Independence High School

Mrs. Erin Woodward – Kern Valley High School

Mrs. Leandrea Slayton – Liberty High School

Mrs. Debbie Myers – Maricopa High School

 Ms. Natalie Ryan – North High School

Mrs. Marlys Brimmer – Ridgeview High School

Mrs. Denise Sande – Stockdale High School

Mrs. Sarah Hamblin – Taft Union High School

 Mr. James Henderson – Tehachapi High School

 Mrs. Angela Jenkins – West High School

Mrs. Linda Shearer – Porterville High School

Mr. Rich Lambie – Granite Hills High School

Mr. Jeromy Blackwell – Harmony Magnet Academy

Mr. Grant Wagner – Monache High School

Mr. Ben Nelson – Strathmore High School

Mr. Thomas Shepardson – Lancaster High School

Mr. Devin Thomas – Desert Christian High School

Mr. Jeff Culver – Quartz Hill High School

Mr. Caleb Schroeder – Rosamond High School

Mrs. Maysha Dawson – Mojave High School

Mrs. Debbie Lewis – Desert High School

Mr. Shane Moore – California City High School

Mr. Chris Ostermann – Sherman E. Burroughs High School

House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy recognizes outstanding students with the 23rd Congressional District Merit Award

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly report. In his words:

 "This week and the coming weeks, I have the distinct privilege of recognizing and honoring our most outstanding high school seniors in our community.

 "Our community has some talented students and I want to take the opportunity to recognize them with the 23rd Congressional District of California 2014 Merit Award for students in Kern, Tulare, and Los Angeles counties. This award was created to recognize outstanding high school students who have demonstrated exemplary school citizenship, volunteerism, community service, involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership skills and have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Earlier this year, high school principals were invited to select one outstanding graduating senior per school to receive the 23rd Congressional District of California 2014 Merit Award.


"This award is not only about outstanding academic achievement; it is also meant to recognize the character and positive values that these students uphold.  I look forward to watching these young leaders continue to succeed in the future.”


Student Recipients



Kern County

Mr. Austin Huckaby - Bakersfield Christian High School

Mr. Patrick Crowley – Bakersfield High School

Miss Sarah Manges – Centennial High School

Mr. Ben Ward– East Bakersfield High School

Miss Breana Garcia – Foothill High School

Miss Erin Glavin – Frontier High School

Mr. Ryan Young – Garces Memorial High School

Miss Sara Baldridge – Highland High School

Mr. Michael Cushine – Independence High School

Mr. Mason Meyers – Kern Valley High School

Miss Morgan Wonderly – Liberty High School

Mr. Jacob Allen – Maricopa High School

Mr. Andrew Francis – North High School

Miss Gurjot Kaur – Ridgeview High School

Miss Pratyusha Gogulapati – Stockdale High School

Mr. Clayton Wikoff – Taft Union High School

Mr. Kyle Mathes Orr – Tehachapi High School

Miss Casey Ross – West High School

Miss Kassidy McLaughlin – Rosamond High School

Mr. Ruben Juan Soto – Mojave High School

Mr. Dane Adams – Desert High School

Mr. Kristoph Livingston – California City High School

Mr. Chad Cracraft – Sherman E. Burroughs High School

Miss Lydia Alverson – Boron High School



Tulare County

Mr. Jose Gonzalez – Granite Hills High School

Miss Kayla Holloway – Harmony Magnet Academy

Mr. David Ivancovich – Monache High School

Mr. Anthony James Moore, Jr. – Porterville High School

Miss Jakoba Duffin – Strathmore High School



Los Angeles County

Miss Amanda Tepe – Lancaster High School

Miss Ariel Andal –Desert Christian High School

Mr. Daren Harrell – Quartz Hill High School





 "Also, I want to recognize the artistic talent of our local high school students, and I am pleased to announce the winners of our 2014 Congressional Art Competition. Congratulations to all of the winners and especially to the competition’s overall winner, Frontier High School’s Jacey Cruz, whose winning piece, “San Francisco,” will soon arrive in Washington.  I look forward to Jacey’s visit to our nation’s Capital for the unveiling of her artwork where it will be displayed for visitors to see during their visit to the U.S. Capitol building this year. In addition, all of this year’s winners will hang in my office in Washington for the next year.

How about some home brewed whiskey right here in Bakersfield? And David Blaine looks to auction a football with signatures from local NFL greats

 * ... NFL GREATS: Did you know that Kern County has produced more than 40 men who have played in the National Football League? And David Blaine, an attorney over at Klein DeNatale Goldner, is hoping to get all of those who are alive to sign  a commemorative NFL football to auction off for a good cause. The football has already been signed by folks like Ryan Matthews (Chargers), 

David Carr (Giants), Ken Ruettgers (Packers), Michael Stewart (Rams), Aaron Merz (Bills), Joey Porter (Steelers), Brent McClanahan (Vikings), Mark Nichols (Lions), Jeff Buckey (Dolphins), Stephen Neal (Patriots) and others. "It's been a four month journey sending this football around the country," Blaine told me. "It's been shipped, hauled and handed off from person to person." The football will be auctioned at the CASA Kentucky Derby Party on Saturday, May 5, with all proceeds going to CASA. Tickets are $175 each. Call (661) 631-2272 if interested.

 * ... SPOTTED: Peter Mayer dropped me a note about a horrific incident he witnessed involving a dog riding in the back of a pickup truck. Mayer was driving on Highway 99 when he came upon large yellow labrador pacing back and forth in the bed of the truck, at times placing its front paws on the side of the bed. "Within seconds the dog actually jumped from the right side of the truck (traveling in the right lane), hitting the pavement at about 60 miles per hour. It rolled under the truck and was hit by the owner himself at least twice as the truck swerved and spun to a stop facing the opposite direction. The dog actually got up and limped to the right shoulder, and the truck also pulled off (still facing the wrong way). Thankfully, nobody was directly behind and surrounding traffic was able to slow and move away from the situation.  I don’t know what ultimately happened to the poor dog or the owner." Mayer noted that pets are like children, and they "depend on us to take care of them and keep them from dangerous situations. I don’t have a problem with a dog riding in a pickup truck, but keep it on a very short leash, attached to the middle of the truck bed." Amen.

 * .... BOMB SHELTERS: Last week I mentioned how some folks in town built bomb shelters following the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. But did you know there was a huge one beneath East High? That's what Ben Ansolabehere told me. "Living in Bakersfield put us right in the middle of some of this country's most important targets. Nestled between Edwards Air force Base, Vandenberg Air Force Base,  SAC (Strategic Air Command) base near Sacramento, not to mention the largest city in the U.S., with one miscalculation and we were gone. However, one of the largest shelters built was actually under the cafeteria at East High School. While teaching at East, both World and U.S History, I had the privilege of taking my early classes down to the shelter to see some of the old bunk beds, provisions, and sparse living conditions which would have had to be endured by any of the survivors lucky enough to make it down there."

* ... SEMPER FI: From reader Kathy Hahn: "While working out this morning at Eric Nolan's Extreme Kickboxing, I was talking with a young man who had spent 12 years with the Navy and Marine Corps. Now he is working on getting a PA degree at Taft college while supporting a wife and three small children. So proud to have our tax dollars going to someone with determination and character. His hopes are to go to Stanford to get a Doctors degree and then reenlist. Wow!"

 * ... BAKO WHISKEY: Bakersfield is known for a lot of things, and it soon may be known for its whiskey. That's right, local businessman Dave Plivelich told me about his North High School buddy Wade Bowen and a group of investors who plan to produce and market a high grade whiskey right here in Bakersfield. Dave, who owns the The Marcom Group digital marketing agency, told me he recently reconnected with Bowen who shared his dream of making premium whiskey. They now have all the federal licenses as well as federal approval of the recipe. The still is built and empty bottles and corks are ready to go. "We're anticipating bringing Bakersfield its first legitimate whiskey, and it's a damn fine whiskey to boot, sometime in May of this year. This is all produced here in Bakersfield and will be made in small batches. Our thing is... if you are going to get a superb American-made whiskey that doesn't come from Tennessee (Bowen's is better anyways), its only logical that it would come from someplace with such a rich west coast history." Bowen's Spirits Inc. will be the producer of Bowen's Whiskey. Look for it.

RIP to the old mainstream media, and get ready for a new "gold rush" by podcasts and streaming video platforms to fill the void. .. and hey how about a cool old photo?

 * ... LOCAL MEDIA: The graveside services for what was known as "the mainstream media" - your local newspaper, network TV and its local affiliate news stations - were held long ago. Media is splintering, newspapers are struggling to keep the lights on and TV ratings are shrinking. In its place,

blogs, podcasts and new video streaming platforms are flourishing, if for no other reason than they don't need truckloads of cash and advertising to stay in business. This is particularly true on the local level, where new "media channels" position themselves to capture the audiences that have abandoned newspapers and other "mainstream" platforms. Locally, look no further than KERNCAST.COM, a new venture catering to the political right and run by former mayoral candidate and pro cannabis activist T.J. Esposito. So far, he has signed up former KNZR radio personalities Chad Garcia and Inga K. Barks, as well as Denise Gary, to do weekly video streaming episodes, and more are in the works. (KERNCAST also hosts a lively "Bored in Bakersfield" channel that is worth checking out). Esposito can be a polarizing figure about town, but it would be wrong to prematurely dismiss him or KERNCAST. The gatekeepers of old media are dead, and there is a new gold rush to see who will fill the void.

 * ... CANNABIS DRAMA: Speaking of old media, it took our local newspaper more than a month but it finally got around to covering the dramatic charges and counter charges involving Supervisors Mike Maggard and Leticia Perez in the local cannabis debate. It's another example of how shrinking staffs in "old media" simply can't keep up with more nimble news sources, and how new alternative news outlets are now leading the way. By the way, if you want a real, unfiltered view of this cannabis mess, go to the KERNRADIO.COM archives to hear interviews with all the players in the local pot debate: Heather Epps, David Abbasi, T.J. Esposito, Kim Schaefer, Ben Eilenberg, Fernando Jara, Maggard and Perez.

* ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: Pat Sajak, host of "Wheel of Fortune," posted this: "It must be exhausting to spend your days monitoring everyone’s speech searching for something to turn into a hashtag hate campaign. #Getalife"

 * ... DISNEYLAND: There is some bad news at the happiest place on earth. That's right Disneyland is raising its prices again and those on the annual season passes are getting slammed. For annual passes, the least expensive pass now costs $729, up from $619, and the Signature Pass (includes parking) is now going for a princely $999 a year. A family of four can easily spend near $4,000 a year for the passes, and that doesn't include gas, hotels or food.

* ... VETERANS: Comrades and Canopies, a group of local veterans dedicated to improving the lives of those who have served, is taking eight Honor Flight vets out to Skydive Taft this weekend. Event organizer Chad Garcia said some of the War World II and Korean War vets had not jumped out of a plane in decades. Garcia and other veterans will be raising money this week at BJ's Brewhouse on Stockdale Highway and Salty's BBQ on White Lane.

 * ... MEMORIES: Tell me you are not transfixed by this photo shared by Mark McGown on the Facebook page "Kern County of Old." In McGowan's words: "L to R: May Stark, Adalaine Nicholson, and Ella Faye in 1894. They were teachers at Kern County High School."

Supervisor Leticia Perez stiffs KGET and fails to show up for her own debate, Kern County voters to decide the fate of two marijuana initiatives and GM kills the Impala, but the sedan will live on in our car culture

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 person or organization.

 * ... SUPER TUESDAY: More than 60,000 Kern County voters have already casts their ballots in the Super Tuesday primary, when California joins 13 other states and the territory of Somoa in deciding both local and national elections. Locally, two marijuana initiatives are on the ballot,

Measure D and the competing Measure E, which was put forth by the Board of Supervisors. Supervisors David Couch and Leticia Perez are up for reelection, as is Mayor Karen Goh. For what it is worth, I am voting for Measure E and I am voting against Proposition 13, a huge school bond measure. I also recommend you vote to send Karen Goh back for a second term, allow David Couch to return to office and give Leticia Perez another term, despite some recent bad form on her part that I will discuss next.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Talented? You bet. I can lie in bed and fall asleep halfway through whatever show I’m watching. Every. Single. Time"

* ... LETICIA PEREZ: What was Supervisor Leticia Perez thinking? You are the incumbent, you are invited to a debate to face your challengers, you confirm, and then you stand them up. That's right, Perez was a 'no show' for the KGET televised debate and anchor Jim Scott did not appear pleased. I am told Perez was supposed to be there at 6:30 p.m. along with the other four candidates, they waited, and at 7 p.m. decided to go ahead without her. No phone call, no explanation, nothing. I contacted Perez and was told she was meeting with the Senate Pro Tem working on oil and gas leases, but Facebook told a different story: she was spotted at a birthday party for Democratic state Sen. Melissa Hurtado. Either Perez is supremely confident in her reelection, or she committed a brazen act of bad etiquette,  or both. It was bad form, supervisor, really bad form. For the record, the other candidates are realtor Ben Valdez, businessman Ronnie Cruz, entrepreneur David Abbasi and Greenfield Union School District Board member Dr. Ricardo Herrera.

 * ... TRASH: Lia Mendez is a runner and cyclist who knows how to set an example for the rest of us. Check out her post on Facebook: "A few months ago, I got into the habit of picking up litter while running the Kern River Parkway trails. It started as an impromptu cleanup effort, as I would inevitably encounter at least one discarded plastic bag on every run, and my rule became that if I found a bag, I wouldn't stop picking up trash until I'd filled it up. Because I would often find multiple plastic bags on the same run, I usually ended up removing a lot of litter from the trail. Pretty soon, my regular running route was starting to look a lot better. Often, other people enjoying the trails take notice of me picking up trash. They smile and offer me thanks, a fist bump, sometimes a high five.
"There's plenty for everyone!" I smile back at them, and hope that the next time they come across a piece of trash on the trail, they remember that crazy lady they saw running with a handful of garbage that one time, and decide to take action themselves. When I encounter trash in the environment, I don't see it as someone else's problem. I see it as an opportunity to lead by example and help make my community a better place." Thank you, Lia, for setting a good example for all of us.

* ... LAST IMPALA: General Motors has announced it is ending the production of the Chevrolet Impala, one of the most beloved classic American made sedans of all time. Sales of sedans have slumped and the Impala fell out of favor with car buyers. But one place it will always have a home is at the classic car shows in Bakersfield, where the Impala remains one of the all time favorites.

 * ... MEMORIES: And from the Kern County History Fans Facebook page, check out this old photo of Taft Union High School.