Will the District Attorney's race be a litmus test for the power of Western Pacific Research without Mark Abernathy? And Kern County voters will get another change to vote on legal marijuana this November

Friday, May 18, 2018

Welcome to Bakersfield Observed, now online only. 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 place. Email your news and notes to rsbeene@yahoo.com.

 *... ABERNATHY MACHINE: For years Mark Abernathy and his political consulting firm Western Pacific Research have served as kingmakers for Republican party hopefuls. If you wanted to be "in" with the machine, you were an Abernathy client. But Mark Abernathy died recently, and it has left WPR in the hands of his quite capable wife, Cathy Abernathy. Among the WPR clients and

supporters: Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, former Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, Mayor Karen Goh, DA candidate Cynthia Zimmer and judicial candidate Chad Louie. But this year is stacking up to be something different, thanks to the growing influence of Kern County Latino leaders and diverse but potentially powerful movements like the woman's #metoo. So what does this mean for this election cycle? Look no further than the District Attorney's race where Zimmer is taking on assistant district attorney Scott Spielman, in what appears to be a litmus test of the old Abernathy machine's ability to make things happen. McCarthy has put his considerable weight behind Zimmer and is hoping to push her across the finish line ahead of a resurgent Spielman. (Interestingly, McCarthy's mentor former Congressman Bill Thomas is supporting Spielman). There is a lot riding on the DA race for WPR, and if Zimmer loses, so will the WPR and its legacy of winning at all costs.

 * ... POT VOTE: It looks like it will be up to the Kern County voters to decide if we want marijuana sold and grown here legally. That's the word from Ben Ellenberg, a Riverside County attorney who is working on two initiatives that may appear on the November ballot. One would deal with the unincorporated county, and the other with the city of Bakersfield. A simple majority is all that is needed to pass either initiative. According to Ellenberg, some polls show Kern County residents support legalized marijuana by an 80 percent margin.

* ... DOG FIGHTS: Were you aware that there is an epidemic of professional dog fighting and gambling here in Kern County? Count me among those who didn't know the practice was as widespread as it apparently is. At least that is according to several pit bull experts I hosted on my daily radio show focusing on pit bulls. Sundee Martineau, head of the Bakersfield Boxers and Bullies Rescue, said the cruel and inhumane practice is thriving. "Black bags full of dead pits" routinely show up on the side of the road, she said, and gamblers spend thousands betting on the dog fights.

 * ... SPOTTED ON FACEBOOK: "Some people are like clouds. When they disappear, it's a brighter day."

 * ... BAKERSFIELD GOOD FORM: If you have lived here for long, you know Bakersfield's reputation for kindness and hospitality. And Bakersfield native Jarret Martin, a Centential High grad working his way through major league baseball, experienced a bit of that recently in Midland, TX. Listen to what his mother, local author Dana Martin, explain it: "Jarret, playing for Oakland As affiliate RockHounds in Midland, Texas, had just arrived from spring training and settled in for his opening day game, when he was called from the clubhouse to speak to a fan who said they knew him. Jarret, excited to see maybe a family member or friend, emerged to greet a stranger’s face. The stranger said he was from Bakersfield and had seen the roster before traveling to Midland, saw that a player from Bakersfield was on the roster, and thought he would bring Jarret a gift from home he KNEW anybody from Bakersfield would love. He handed  Jarret a two pound box of Dewar’s chews!! What a surprise! Jarret was so touched and yes, it was exactly what the doctor ordered....A taste of home. We would love to thank the fan for his thoughtfulness in knowing that a kid from home would appreciate that small but amazing gesture. We love this town."

 * ... MEMORIES: Check out this old photo I spotted on the Bakersfield Memories Facebook page. The caption reads: "Lester Rose and wife Helen on left. Earl and Viola Pearce on right. Lester and Viola ran the TRAVELER'S INN in Greenfield for many years. Viola is the mother of Milton Huggs (Was owner of MILTS CAFE and the grandmother of Mark Huggs (owner of the 24TH STREET CAFE. A wonderful family.)

 * ... HAY BUILDING: Here is an old photo of the corner of 19th and Eye streets in the 1890s. The corner building on the right, “Dinkelspeils”, became Hay Building in the 1900s.

Former Centennial hurler Jarret Martin put on the 40-man roster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and preparing for the annual Pie Run on Thanksgiving morning

 * … DODGERS: Hats off to Jarret Martin, the hard throwing Centennial High School graduate who has been put on the Los Angeles Dodgers' 40-man roster. The move protects Martin from being acquired by another team, and puts him on a major league contract. Martin graduated from Centennial

in 2008, was drafted out of high school by the Orioles but decided to pitch for Bakersfield College for a year. The Orioles drafted him again in 2009 and ended up trading him to the Dodgers. His last stop was the Arizona Fall League. Jarret is engaged to Allie Wiener, a CSUB nursing student at the top of her class. His mother, Dana Martin, is a freelance writer, author and editor. (photo of Jarret Martin and mother Dana courtesy of Dana Martin)

* … OUR TOWN: I had a chance to catch up the other day with Jennie Warren, one of the owners of Bakersfield Plumbing, a family business that has served our community well for many years. It was three years ago that Jennie's longtime husband, Jerry, died suddenly two days after Christmas. The ever gregarious Jerry and his company served my family well for many years, and now Jennie and her son Tony continue that legacy. I have lived in some of the world's largest cities where life affords one more "cultural" amenities and excitement, but only in Bakersfield do vendors and small business people become more like friends than a faceless repairman.

* … GOOD FORM: Craig Odom and his wife, Mary Ellen, were dining at Tahoe Joe's last week to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. What happened next was unexpected. "We were enjoying our meal and having a pleasant conversation with a former student of mine from Shafter High School, who is an employee at Tahoe Joe’s. My wife and I are both teachers. A younger couple with three daughters was sitting in the booth behind us and must have heard our conversation about our anniversary and us both being in education. The meal and the conversation came to an end and I expected to pay the bill for our meal. Our waiter told us that another patron had picked up the tab and wished us a happy anniversary. We were fortunate to find out that it was the husband of the younger couple sitting behind us. We were both overwhelmed by his act of generosity. I introduced myself and we thanked him for being so kind. I made him a promise that we would soon pay it forward. Thank you Bo and we look forward to passing along your generosity to us and wish you and your family a happy holiday season. "    

* … PIE RUN: One of our community's signature, fun events happens Thanksgiving morning with the annual "Pie Run" at Hart Park. It all starts at 6 a.m. when a couple hundred walkers and runners, many with their favorite canines in tow, show up to walk the hills to kick off Thanksgiving. It's the brainchild of longtime runner and cyclist John Rous, who told me the only cost of entry is a contribution of a pie or cookies. Rous will be cooking hot dogs and tri tip to greet the runners and walkers at the end. Follow the lights to the campfire and prepare to start the run promptly at 6 a.m.

* … MOCK TRIAL: The Bakersfield High School mock trial team had a chance to meet Gov. Jerry Brown when he swung through town last Friday. District Attorney Lisa Green arranged the meeting for the Driller mock trial team. Among the team members attending were Jazmin Reyes, Jasmine Greenwood, Emily Hazelton, Miguel Hernandez, Imani Jordan, Keshay Patton, Daijah Thomasson, Sophia Caputo, Peige Daniels, Yingyi Xu, Safiyyah DeSouza, Luis Martinez, Teresa Malis, Emma Doty, Mario De la Pena, Grant Schramm and LeJohnea Anthony.

Local baseball standout Jarret Martin to take the mound this week against the Bakersfield Blaze, and embracing the serenity of the Bakersfield National Cemetery

* ... MEMORIAL DAY: Hundreds of people visited the new national cemetery outside of Arvin on this Memorial Day weekend, a beautiful setting that has grown in popularity as more people discover this peaceful final resting place for those who served our nation. If you have not been there, it
is worth spending some time to enjoy the California oaks in the rolling hills. The cemetery is located off Bear Mountain Boulevard.

 * ... MARTIN: Jarret Martin, a Centennial High graduate who was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles out of high school, is scheduled to be on the mound with the Cucamonga Quakes (a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliated team) against the Bakersfield Blaze this Thursday. His proud mother, local writer Dana Martin, also reminded me that the coaches have learned that Jarret is a scratch golfer and has been hitting the links with former big leaguers Charlie Hough, Matt Herges and Jose Vizcaino. (photo courtesy of Martin's Facebook page)

* ... AMGEN: Do you remember when the Amgen pro cycling race came to town and the city spruced up the area around Bakersfield College? Judy Henderson does, and she wishes it would return. "I miss the Amgen Race... In short time, tumble weeds were removed and ground up, trash and weeds disappeared. Center dividers were planted and wood chips were spread over dirt areas where many spectators would gather. The areas of Manor Drive, Panorama Drive and Alfred Harrell Highway looked like an All America City. Now, tumble weeds abound, weeds grow in the center divider and the streets. Trash litters roadways and weeds grow among the wood chips.  Even the  Panorama rain drain is clogged.  I miss the Amgen Race."

 * ... DRIVERS: Are Bakersfield drivers any more or less angry and impatient than in other communities? One reader, who asked that I withhold her name, has been verbally abused numerous times after picking up her grandsons from school. "I travel north of Gosford Road and I go through the very busy intersection at Ming Avenue," she said. When she finds herself in the right lane at Ming, intending to go straight, drivers behind her invariably get impatient if she doesn't take a right on red. "I am very aware of the glares and impatience of drivers behind me, who apparently think I don't care that they wish to make a right turn. I have even had people honk at me, but I really don't have a choice... I always pull to the as far to my left as I can, because small cars can move past me and make my turn."

 * ... BAD FORM: And speaking of road rage, shame on the driver of a white oil field utility truck who deliberately side swiped - and could have killed - a cyclist on the Granite-Woody Road Saturday. The cyclist was riding on the far right painted line, but apparently that wasn't good enough for the truck driver who came within a few inches of brushing the cyclist and taking him down.

 * ... BAKERSFIELDISM: From reader Linda Welch: You may be a Bakersfield old timer if you remember the two headed calf in the "old science building at Kern County Union High School. It was enclosed in a glass case."

Short takes: Nail biting time for college seniors, an update on Jarret Martin and the police memorial run set for Saturday

 * ... AND OFF THEY GO: This is nail-biting time for thousands of Bakersfield high school seniors who are finalizing their college applications and writing their essays. The application deadline for the UC schools (UCLA, Berkeley, Santa Barbara, Davis and the rest)  is at the end of this month. Some of the more popular destination out of state schools like the University of Arizona, the University of Colorado and the University of Oregon have deadlines in January or later. This year's graduating senior class is one of the largest in our country's history (I believe it actually peaked last year) so the competition is fierce, particularly for the more prestigious schools. Having two girls who have gone through this, I can attest it's a time of great stress and uncertainty until the acceptance emails and letters begin arriving next April. I'll be happy to share the happy stories of acceptances and high hopes when those days arrive.

 * ... KCUHS MEA CULPA: Dick Porter, president of Porter Citrus in Lamont, took me to task for flubbing the name of Kern County's first high school. For the record, it was called Kern County Union High School (I left 'county' out in an earlier piece on the death of Bob Montgomery.) For you history buffs, KCUHS is now Bakersfield High and in the old days Bakersfield College shared the same campus. And as long as we are talking about colleges, Porter told me his daughter Brittany is now living in Waterloo, Iowa, after graduating from Indiana University and son Tucker is a junior at the University of Colorado in Boulder. "They'll never come back," he told me. Of course, many of our local kids do come back to Bakersfield to live and work, and two who come to mind are Natalie Bustamante, daughter of pediatrician Dr. Javier Bustamante and wife Laurie, and Joe Hay, son of Mikie and Dan Hay, owners of Jim Burke Ford. Natalie is a lawyer with Klein, DeNatale and Goldner and Joe is working at the  dealership as commercial sales manager. Both graduated from University of Notre Dame. I'm making a list of those local  kids who did come home and will share in another blog.

* ... AN ORIOLE FROM BAKERSFIELD: It was nice to get an update on hard throwing former Bakersfield College and Centennial High pitcher Jarret Martin who is now making his way through the Baltimore Orioles organization. (see the previous post here) Jarret is the 20-year-old son of Dana and Rob Martin of Northwest Bakersfield and earlier this year signed with the Orioles. He spent a few months with the Bluefield Orioles in Bluefield, West Virginia, but later suffered some shoulder  tendinitis. He reports to spring training in Florida in January for supervised throwing and expects to be placed on a team in April. Meanwhile, proud mother Dana Martin tells me Jarret's younger sister is opting for Bakersfield College over a four-year university citing her own frugality, even though her parents are footing the bill. "I would not pay full price for a pair of $150 jeans so why would I pay full price for college?" her mother quotes Jordyn as asking.

* ... POLICE MEMORIAL RUN: If you're a runner or just want to support a good cause make sure to remember the 27th annual Bakersfield Police Memorial Run this Saturday over at the park at River Walk off Stockdale Highway. Maureen Buscher-Dang, the former marketing officer over at the old Chain-Younger law firm, told me the proceeds are used for the education of surviving children of Bakersfield police officers killed in the line of duty. Now that is a good cause. The fee is $25, registration starts at 6:30  a.m. and the race begins at 8 a.m. You can call 661-326-3685 for details or download an entry form at www.bakersfieldpd.us.

Short takes around town: a hard throwing local kid heads to the big leagues, dangerous mortgage default rates and a touch of the arts

Looking forward to a brief respite from the heat wave this weekend, when the highs are expected to stay a tad below 100. You know you're from Bakersfield when you welcome 99 degree days ... Lots happening around town. Let's get to it:

* ... JARRET HEADS TO THE BIGS: It's always great to see local kids excel, be it in athletics or academics or both. So here's to Jarret Martin, former Centennial High standout now at Bakersfield College who just inked a nice contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Jarret's mom is Dana Martin, a local writer and regular contributor to BakersfieldLife magazine and one of our community's great cheerleaders. Dana tells me her boy got what he wanted in terms of money, and on top of that he gets his college education paid for by the Orioles. So the kid can't lose either way. Here's to Jarret and all the other local kids moving up and out.




* ... MIXED NEWS ON HOUSING: I try to keep a pulse on the local housing market here and yesterday posted a short (and optimistic) note about home sales after talking to Ray Karpe, president of Karpe Real Estate Center. (read that post here) Then today I read in the Los Angeles Times that California's default rate has soared to 9.5 percent. That means that 1 in every 10 home loans in California is now in default. Ouch! So I touched based with local appraiser Gary Crabtree, who arguably has a better handle on local housing than anyone else in town. Let's hear it from Gary in his own words:

"We are in recovery mode now with increasing prices, but my real concern is the second wave of upcoming foreclosures, the unemployment and the ever increasing number of "short sale" listings (future foreclosures) on the market. I just ran some numbers today and found that out of 1,345 total listings, there are only 280 REO listings on the market (21%) and 389 short sale listings (29%). On the sales side out of 506 sales so far in July, 317 (62%) are REO and 53 (10%) are short sales. "This doesn't bode well for the short sales that will most likely turn into foreclosures. In spite of the record number of foreclosures, my sources are telling me that the lenders are actually showing some responsibility by only releasing a few each month for sale and holding on to the rest either in the form of rentals or leaving former owners/tenants in them. I hope this is true. If so, it will go a long way to curb the next "bloodbath". "

So let's all keep our fingers crossed. We need a steady recovery in housing to lead us out of this recession. There is certainly pent-up demand, so let's get to it.

* ... DANTE'S DIVINE COMEDY: If you're in the mood for an evening of art and education, mark next Thursday (Aug. 6) on your calendar. The Bakersfield Museum of Art will host a lecture by Dr. Robert Crewdsen on The Divine Comedy. It runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is free to members and just $3 for non members. The museum always does a good job with these lectures, so make sure to check it out. For more details check it out here.