Columnists

SOUND OFF: Tell us more about organic-waste diversion, trash fees

9 hrs ago

Reader: Two things caused me to wait in writing this. First, I waited for someone to comment on the Jan. 4 Board of Supervisors meeting’s discussion of a huge price increase to Kern County landowners and to my surprise, no one offered any comments.

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LOIS HENRY: State Water Board member: Flowing water is ‘necessary’ in the Kern River

14 hrs ago

A technical legal gambit on the current Kern River case gave an interesting peek into the thoughts of one member of the powerful state Water Resources Control Board, which will ultimately decide the fate of any “loose” water on the river.

JOSE GASPAR: A 10-year-old girl was killed in front of her father. Did a baseball cap spark shooting?

Jan 16, 2022

Was the murder of a 10-year-old girl a case of mistaken identity, the result of her father wearing an Atlanta Braves baseball cap? That's the theory Arvin police believe may be behind the shooting death of Liliana Jimenez, who was a student at Grimmway Academy, plus the wounding of her 12-ye…

VALERIE SCHULTZ: The mystery of unintended collections

Jan 16, 2022

My husband is a devoted collector of things. He happily saves the extensive memorabilia of a life well lived. He is fond of Lego sets, cookware, kitchen appliances and gadgets of all kinds. I recently heard him tell a friend that there are 300 statues of Liberty in his prized, county-fair-wi…

ROBERT PRICE: The day Martin Luther King Jr. walked down Chester Avenue

Jan 15, 2022

The bottles and debris flew, but 19-year-old Ralph Anthony kept his focus. The catcalls, the obscenities, the vulgar threats were hard to ignore, but Anthony had been warned to expect it as the marchers, perhaps 150 of them, trooped toward the city’s central business district. The harassment…

LOIS HENRY: State is asking the wrong questions on Kern River water case, critics argue

Jan 14, 2022

A notice for the next round of state hearings on whether there’s “loose” water on the Kern River prompted exasperation from one attorney and a letter from a Bakersfield group beseeching the state to change its focus.

LOIS HENRY: Desert groundwater plan OK’d by state

Jan 13, 2022

The Indian Wells Valley groundwater plan got a thumbs-up from the state Thursday — but with a swarm of lawsuits surrounding the plan, it’s unclear what that approval will mean going forward.

STEVE FLORES: Do you want to build a snowman?

Jan 9, 2022

“Do you want to build a snow man? Come on, let’s go and play.”

ROBERT PRICE: Mystery blonde sung him back home from his hospital bed

Jan 8, 2022

Elapsed time and the circumstances of the moment make the details foggy. This much we know: 20-year-old David J. Rosales had fresh stitches practically circumnavigating his torso, from the wound an inch from his spine all the way around to his bellybutton, and medic-administered drugs had nu…

SOUND OFF: Odes to our writers

Jan 7, 2022

Reader: Hi Herb, I am so happy for you, but sad for those of us who love reading your column. I almost started crying when I opened the paper ("Herb Benham: Thanks and I'll see you in February," Dec. 26) and saw the announcement. However, I knew the time was coming eventually because we are …

ROBERT PRICE: Freddie’s Top of the Hill was a blast, but its enduring legend is a bizarre murder

Jan 1, 2022

One Sunday morning 50 years ago, Bill Taylor and Julius “Jack” McDaniel walked up to the front door of a home in the Benton Park neighborhood of central Bakersfield and set into motion the most infamous murder in the city’s history.

JOSE GASPAR: What is going on in Delano?

Dec 26, 2021

Back in the day when I used to cover school board meetings at the Delano Joint Union High School District, school board members once came to fisticuffs when emotions got heated. Things have since cooled down at the school district, but over at the Delano City Council, emotions are definitely…

HERB BENHAM: Thanks and I'll see you in February

Dec 26, 2021

Thank you.

LOIS HENRY: Wild horse finds sanctuary with Lifesaver

Dec 25, 2021

I did not want a horse.

VALERIE SCHULTZ: Our star of wonder

Dec 25, 2021

It's always a joy to visit a place where the multitudes of stars at night are visibly brilliant, where their celestial light is not obscured by the artificial illumination of civilization.

HERB BENHAM: My Christmas wish was granted

Dec 23, 2021

I reached down and a small hand reached for mine. Two hands, one on each side. I'd gotten what I wanted for Christmas.

HERB BENHAM: The gift of being married to me

Dec 20, 2021

Christmas comes up fast and once again I haven't gotten anybody anything, especially Sue. So instead of rushing around trying to buy her something, I've decided to write her a note:

STEVE FLORES: My '5 Days Before Christmas”' wish list

Dec 19, 2021

In the spirit of the holidays, I submit my “5 Days Before Christmas” wish list. This is my feeble attempt at revising the traditional “12 Days of Christmas,” a famous holiday song about receiving gifts from your “true love.”

ROBERT PRICE: A vexing tale from California’s stolen-car capital

Dec 18, 2021

To the list of things a little bit (or a lot) worse than usual this year — year two of a persistent and lingering pandemic — add this: You’re more likely to discover an empty spot in your driveway where your car was parked just the night before.

HERB BENHAM: Enjoying these Hawaiian 'problems'

Dec 18, 2021

One of the things I like about Hawaii — in this case Kona, the island with the big volcanoes (Mauna Kea at 13,803 feet and Mauna Loa almost as high) — is the aloha spirit, which means "affection, peace, compassion and mercy," and is commonly used as a simple greeting.

SOUND OFF: Give kids the recognition they deserve

Dec 17, 2021

Reader: I have been a longtime subscriber to The Bakersfield Californian. I enjoy keeping up on current news, sports and happenings by reading your paper.

LOIS HENRY: State’s early zero-water-for-ag projection could have far-reaching implications

Dec 16, 2021

Storms hammering California this week will likely bump up the state’s Dec. 1 projection of zero water for agricultural contractors.

COP TALES: They may be looking for a new job

Dec 12, 2021

Cop Tales are true stories as told by law enforcement officers from all over the country. The stories are told in the first person. The actual officer’s initials follow each story.

HERB BENHAM: You all made the cut for the Christmas letter

Dec 12, 2021

"It's time to write the Christmas letter," Sue said.

VALERIE SCHULTZ: Mama bears come in all shapes, colors

Dec 12, 2021

"Way to go, mama bears!" said Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin on election night. "You guys were awesome."

ROBERT PRICE: Kindness was JJ Malone’s dominant characteristic

Dec 11, 2021

The crime would be galling in any context. An alleged under-the-influence driver with multiple priors strikes two pedestrians on the sidewalk, killing them instantly.

LOIS HENRY: Battle for Kern River water goes deep into rights, history

Dec 11, 2021

The state hearing on whether there is “loose” water on the Kern River got started Thursday and was quickly snared in a thicket of procedural issues, arcane water rights and water diversion practices.

HERB BENHAM: This afternoon was unbe-leaf-able

Dec 9, 2021

The leaf blower blasting outside my window had me thinking: What's the opposite of a leaf blower? A rake, a broom and a man who is not afraid to use them.

HERB BENHAM: Good music, food and fun little boxes

Dec 6, 2021

Talk about a misfire. I woke up Thursday night and realized I had forgotten to submit the photos of Henry and Nora eating pomegranates for the Friday column about pomegranate season.

Thousands of farmworkers will get pay raises following lawsuit

Dec 5, 2021

Tens of thousands of California’s guest farmworkers and U.S. farmworkers will see pay increases in 2022, which advocates say comes thanks to their lawsuit to stop a Trump-era wage freeze.

JOSE GASPAR: Delano murder case gets a new set of eyes

Dec 5, 2021

Joe Aguirre was mayor of Delano in 2013 when the city was rocked by the disappearance of a 26-year-old mother of four young children. For the next few weeks, I recall being in Delano frequently, covering the search for Erika Lango as friends, family and others who did not know her personally…

ROBERT PRICE: Under that cheap, cartoon sombrero is perspective and purpose

Dec 4, 2021

As superhero costumes go, El Chano’s is seriously lacking. His serape utterly fails as a cape, his sombrero looks straight out of a Tijuana T-shirt shop, his mustache appears to have been borrowed from a Super Mario Brothers Halloween outfit and the aviator sunglasses — what’s up with those?

HERB BENHAM: Panic is skin-deep

Dec 4, 2021

I saw the dermatologist earlier this week. I hadn't been in almost two years. Like any reasonable person, I dread going and thought about putting it off for another six months, but then, if I had anything, it could have grown faster than bougainvillea.

HERB BENHAM: This pomegranate season not big but sweet

Dec 2, 2021

It hasn't been a big pomegranate year, but it's been big enough. Big enough, red enough, sweet enough.

LOIS HENRY: State money for canal fixes set to start flowing

Nov 30, 2021

The state Department of Water Resources opened the spigot Tuesday on the first $100 million of $200 million budgeted over the next two fiscal years to fix several key canals that have sunk because of groundwater pumping.

HERB BENHAM: Giving thanks for gas-burning fireplaces, river water

Nov 29, 2021

Good Thanksgiving. No guns, some knives, most sharp but all busy carving turkey.

A space-age tool aims to bring water use down to Earth

Nov 28, 2021

New satellite technology could be a critical piece to the future of water trading in the San Joaquin Valley, according to those working on the tech. OpenET, an online platform that uses satellite imagery to estimate how much water is used by different crops, can now be viewed by the public.

STEVE FLORES: 'Congas' made everyone feel like family

Nov 28, 2021

It was unusual to see social media explode with so many messages of sorrow, bereavement and sadness. A multitude of accolades usually reserved for popular politicians, people who held positions on civic boards, or a high-profile community activist were instead homages for Tony “Congas” Herna…

COP TALES: A little help from a citizen

Nov 28, 2021

Cop Tales are true stories as told by law enforcement officers from all over the country. The stories are told in the first person. The actual officer’s initials follow each story.

HERB BENHAM: When houses become homes

Nov 28, 2021

The text was simple. Short and simple often packs the most punch.

ROBERT PRICE: Jack Hernandez left with more to say, which is how he probably would have wanted it

Nov 27, 2021

Jack Hernandez never stopped writing. At least three of the obituaries written about the longtime Bakersfield College philosopher, who died Nov. 17 at age 84, made note of a quiet but striking achievement of his: On the last full day of his life, he wrote five poems. From a hospital, no less…

VALERIE SCHULTZ: The supply chain of faith

Nov 27, 2021

The supply chain is something many of us have never thought about or even heard of before, but news about it is in our faces now. Between the COVID-19 pandemic closing down the world for over a year and chronic labor shortages in the U.S. and around the globe, American consumers are not enjo…

SOUND OFF: Illegal dumping problem may have creative solution

Nov 26, 2021

Reader: I read the article "An unfixed problem: Family farmer says ending illegal dumping requires more than cleanup" (Nov. 13). Why can't the county get creative? Back when I worked animal control, people continued to dump trash at the old dump site on Round Mountain Road. Environmental Hea…

HERB BENHAM: King of the courts

Nov 26, 2021

King Richard. Easy to dislike a king and, in this case, Richard Williams, the father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams. However, it may be time to reconsider.

LOIS HENRY: New Kern River coalition; Grassroots or astroturf?

Nov 24, 2021

The main water district involved in several legal battles for Kern River water has launched a new coalition/messaging campaign it is calling Sustainable Kern River.

LOIS HENRY: Four valley groundwater plans fail to meet state standards – for now

Nov 22, 2021

Four groundwater plans in the Central Valley — including those for Westlands Water District, Chowchilla Water District and the Merced and Eastern San Joaquin subbasins — don’t show how they will protect water quality, keep drinking water wells from going dry or stop already sinking land from…

HERB BENHAM: More praise worthy of a smile

Nov 22, 2021

Retirement, as opposed to death, has its advantages if you've done good work, like Shirley Man has, because you're able to enjoy the nice things people say about you.

COP TALES: A doubly rewarding experience

Nov 21, 2021

Cop Tales are true stories as told by law enforcement officers from all over the country. The stories are told in the first person. The actual officer’s initials follow each story.