Water returns to the Kern River through town, a stabbing death downtown and a horrific crash in Delano leaves five people dead

Monday, February 18, 2019

 Welcome to Bakersfield Observed. Our mission is to celebrate life in Kern County by focusing on newsmakers and events and the local characters who make this such a special to live. Send your tips to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 * ... KERN RIVER: Did you notice the water in the Kern River this weekend? Apparently we can thank the West Kern Water District which was involved in a deal that sent water to a county water

agency, which released it into the river as part of a plan to use some otherwise dry canals. Enjoy it while we can folks because it never lasts long.

 * ... STABBING DEATH: There was a stabbing death downtown Saturday evening, the first such incident downtown in a long time. Details are sketchy but apparently there was a fight in the alley that spilled out onto Eye Street near Mama Roomb'a's restaurant and Guthrie's Alleycat. A witness said the victim was a young man and he died at the scene. (photo courtesy of The Californian)

 * ... DELANO CRASH: There was a horrible wreck in Delano Saturday that left five people dead, including two children. The Highway Patrol said an SUV hit a tree on Highway 99 just south of Highway 155. The names of the victims were not immediately released, but the SUV was registered in Delano, according to the CHP. The accident happened on the northbound side of the freeway at about 5:05 p.m. (photo courtesy of KGET)

 * ... MEASURE N TAX: Social media is good for a lot of things, but certainly not for a sober examination of politics. Rather, it's populated with wild rants, partial truths and outright lies. Take for example the reaction to City Manager Alan Tandy saying in The Californian that part of the $50 million raised from the Measure N tax would go to pay down the pension deficit, and by making one lump sum annual payment, the city will save millions in interest. Almost immediately, social media lit up with people claiming that Tandy lied to get the measure passed. But hold on. Tandy was crystal clear, on my radio show and others, that a portion of the Measure N money would be used for this exact purpose. So in fairness to our city manager, he was consistent in saying some of the money would be earmarked for pension obligations.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "I talk dirtier in traffic than I do during sex."

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this colorized version of an old post card from back in the day.