Post a Comment On: Bakersfield Observed

[Image] * ... CRABFEST: A record 450 people turned out for the annual Rib and Crabfest to benefit the St. Francis Parish. This event has grown so popular (getting in is akin to scoring tickets to the Super Bowl) that Monsignor Craig Harrison had to move it to the old satellite wagering barn at the Kern County Fairground. Harrison told me the Parish expected to clear $250,000 from the Friday evening event. Among those I spotted there were Mikie and Dan Hay, Lisa Kimble Edmonston and husband Craig, Trevor and Annalise Townsend, Ken and Renee Carter, Day Raytis, Kristie Spitzer, Robin Mangarin Scott, Don and Patty Houchin, Jim and Beverly Camp, Jeff and Stephanie Pickering, Brian and Katie Kirschenmann and many others.

* ... BCHS: You have to love the print advertising for Bakersfield Christian High School that features beaming young people wearing sweat shirts of the colleges they will be attending: USC, UCLA, Cal Poly, Georgia Tech, Pepperdine among others. A picture like that speaks to the success of BCHS in sending our young people off to school.

 * ... MAXWELL: My colleague Lois Henry nailed it in her Sunday column about the Quixotic city councilman Terry Maxwell, who is ignoring the majority of residents in his own Ward 2 in opposing those who want cul de sacs on the "tree streets" at 24th Street. Maxwell holds to his own beliefs, if nothing else, but only time will tell if there will be a political price to pay.

 * ... RETAIL: With so many new retailers lining up to move to Bakersfield - BevMo!, Nordstrom Rack, Sprouts Farmers Market among them - what does that say about the state of our economy? On Tuesday, I will be chatting with commercial real estate broker Duane Keathley about new retail activity and what that means for 2014 and beyond. Catch us on First Look with Scott Cox on NewsTalk KERN 1180 or live on bakersfield.com beginning at 9 a.m.

 * … GOOD FORM: Ruth Darrington passed along this example of good form from an incident last week at the Albertson's on Mount Vernon. "A friend of mine and I were supposed to meet for lunch when I received a call from her telling me she had been in an accident at the Albertson's parking lot on Mt. Vernon.  I rushed to the site and found her standing next to the Albertson's manager, Jeff Albitre.  She was quite shook up and stood there as the paramedics checked her vitals. I don't know all the details, but what I do know is that this young man took it upon himself to talk to her insurance company and made sure that each person involved gave the insurance representative the information needed and then arranged for a tow.  This whole process took almost 2 1/2 hours and is something that she would have had a difficult time doing. My friend and I would like to thank Jeff for his assistance, compassion, and willingness to give the highest caliber of customer service."