Assemblyman Vince Fong says threat to kill the oil industry is real and "dire," will Supervisor Leticia Perez resign before her trial, and we get the last super moon of the year

Friday, March 22, 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.

 * ... OIL SUMMIT: How dire is it for the oil and gas industry in left leaning California? "The fight is real," says Assemblyman Vince Fong. "It's dire." That was one of the themes coming out of the West

Kern Petroleum Summit put on by Sheri Horn-Bunk and the Taft College Foundation. Fong, joined on a panel by Supervisor Zack Scrivner and state Sen. Shannon Grove, said it was too early to assess how Gov. Gavin Newsom feels about hydrocarbons, or if he is willing to sign onto legislation that would set a time limit on how low fossil fuels can be developed here. "Common sense is not very common in Sacramento," Fong noted.

 * ... LETICIA PEREZ: Julie Solis is a local Democratic activist and she prides herself with being plugged into the local political scene. And that is why I was so intrigued to see her Facebook post claiming that Supervisor Leticia Perez, charged with a conflict of interest violation for not disclosing her husband was representing cannabis interests, would resign before her trial. True? Perez told me via text that she was fighting the charge and would continue to serve her district. Time will tell.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: "Do regular dogs see police dogs and think, 'Oh crap! It’s the cops'"?

 * ... HEAD SCRATCHER: After reporting the number of homeless in Kern County had jumped 50 percent since last year, KBAK TV uses this headline over its story: "The number of homeless in Kern County doubled since 2018 PIT count." Doubled? Math is not someone's strong point over off Westwind Drive.

 * ... DORMS: The opposition to the proposed privately funded dormitories for CSUB students is formidable, and if I were a betting man, I would say this project is dead on arrival. Some of the most prominent names in town live in areas that oppose the idea - Stockdale Estates, Olde Stockdale, Amberton, the Shores, and Quailwood - as well as CSUB  president Lynnette Zelezny.

 * ... SUPER MOON: Did you catch the full moon this week? This was your last chance of the year to catch the supermen and it'd falls on the same day as the vernal equinox, which signals the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is also called the Full Worm Moon. Also known under names like the Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Sugar Moon, and Lenten Moon, the Full Worm Moon is the last full moon of the winter and basically signals the start of spring—it's finally here!—which is when temperatures rise and earthworms begin to surface, hence the name. This full moon is also a supermoon, meaning it'll be the closest to the Earth at that time than it was the whole month of March.

 * ... GRIMMWAY FARMS: Grimmway Farms President Jeff Huckaby joined Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The New York Stock Exchange welcomed Secretary Perdue, other agriculture executives, and his guests to profile the future of agriculture in America. Also joining the group were two young members of the New York Future Farmers of America.

 * ... MEMORIES: Another great old picture from downtown Bakersfield over the years.

* ...MORE MEMORIES: And here, thanks to the Kern County of Old Facebook page, is a wonderful shot of the county court house. (1912-1952) 1415 Truxtun Avenue. Demolished after 1952 quake.