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Monday, March 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.

 * ... CSUB DORMS: Keep an eye on CSUB were a fight is brewing over student housing, in this case a developer's attempt to build two high-rise student dormitories off campus. CSUB president
[Image] Lynette Zelezny weighed in on the controversy immediately, penning an opinion piece in the Sunday Californian siding with residents of Stockdale Estates who oppose the idea. The idea is to build two dorms on six acres of land at the corner of Stockdale Highway and Gosford Road, already one of the busiest intersections in the city. Zelezny argues, convincingly, that any new dorms should be located on campus, but there is no guarantee the CSU regents will approve any new projects particularly given that CSUB dorms are only 64 percent occupied. This seems to be a classic case of NIMBY (not in my back yard). Go to any major campus - UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, Michigan at Ann Arbor etc - and you will find privately funded student housing co-existing along with campus housing. Zelezny and the NIMBY warriors may win this round, but if CSUB truly continues to grow, privately funded student housing will be a near certainty.

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 * ... PRAYER VIGIL: The Muslim Student Association at CSUB will hold a prayer vigil for victims of the New Zealand massacre on Monday evening starting at 7 p.m. at the student center. patio All members of the community are invited.

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* ... BAD FORM: So who is the genius behind the downtown Cruise-4-Charity car show, and why is it such a good idea to basically close down the central business district so a few hundred people can gawk at vintage cars? God forbid you own Uricchio's, Chef's Choice Noodle Bar, Jin Sushi, Muertos or any of the other downtown restaurants, because it was virtually impossible to reach those places thanks to the closed off streets on Saturday. How about Hart Park, or the fairgrounds, or anywhere else where businesses are not so impacted? A bad idea that needs to end.

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 * ... URNERS: Congratulations to Urner's Appliance Center which is celebrating an incredible 100 years in business in Kern County. If you live here, chances are you have bought a washer, or a dryer, or a range or a refrigerator from this iconic Bakersfield appliance company. Founded a century ago and still going strong.

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 * ... MEMORIES: Chester Avenue as seen on a postcard, circa 1912.

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