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The Bakersfield Californian Thursday, December 27, 2012
Eye Street
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage SPECIAL CONCERT Friday, January 4, 2013 Doors open: 7 p.m., Concert starts: 8 p.m. Double Tree Hotel Ballroom Tickets: $20. Tickets can be ordered for “will-call” or picked up at Goin Postal (661) 587-5222 • 11000 Brimhall Road, Bakersfield, CA
Thursday, January 3, 2013 7pm Social Hour • 8pm Concert The Doubletree Hotel 3100 Camino Del Rio Ct., Bakersfield Tickets: $20 • Can be ordered for Will Call or picked up at:
Goin’ Postal •11000 Brimhall Rd. • 661-587-5222
CULTURE: CONTINUED FROM 18 “Earl Warren Federal Courthouse” sure has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?) Granted, the building was designed and constructed with federal stimulus dollars, to which most developers don’t have ready access. But wouldn’t it be something if architects and builders could see the courthouse — a “100-year building,” as its designers describe it — as the new bar to measure themselves against? Speaking of stunning structures, some buildings get such extreme makeovers that we owe their owners a debt of gratitude for putting in the effort — and money — to transform eyesores into show-stoppers. I’m thinking particularly of some spots downtown that caught my eye in the last year. Henley’s, the venerable camera shop on H Street, was updated and given a ton of sidewalk appeal; Muertos, a new restaurant opened by one of the co-owners of the defunct Fishlips, transformed a space in Wall Street Alley that had had one tenant after another in recent years; speaking of Fishlips, the owners of On the Rocks and Riverwalk Cafe did some major work to transform the legendary live music venue into a cool lounge and sandwich shop, brightening up the dingy facade while they were at it; the ugly vacant lot on the corner of 19th and H, bordered by the Padre Hotel and Front Porch Music, is undergoing and improvement, with murals due to be installed soon; and the biggest salute goes to the owners of The Mark restaurant, who spared no expense inside and outside the building on 19th and H. There’s a beautiful bar, tasteful decor and my favorite: a glittering sign that cuts through the haze of winter evenings, beckoning to diners with its cheerful glow.
President honors Chavez
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When President Obama came to Kern County in October to dedicate the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, the occasion became more than an attempt to appeal to Latino voters (though the well-timed visit certainly couldn’t have hurt his reelection chances with that powerful voting bloc). What his appearance really signalled to Kern County and the rest of the country was that the farm labor movement — born in the fields of Kern County in the 1960s — has become something more than that in the American consciousness: a hardfought quest for social justice. With the federal designation, the Keene home of La Paz, where Chavez lived and is buried, will forevermore be a site of reflection and tribute. “Today, La Paz joins a long line of national monuments — stretching from the Statue of Liberty to the Grand Canyon — monuments that tell the story of who we are as Americans,” said the president in his Oct. 8 address to an audience of 6,600.
Comings and goings It’s hard to say goodbye to faces we’ve grown accustomed to, especially when one of those faces is as sweet
FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN
Willie Nelson played to a packed house at the Bright House Networks Amphitheatre in July. The city struck a deal with owners of a nearby vacant field to avoid a concert parking snafu.
as that of Lisa Krch, longtime anchor at KBAK/KBFX Eyewitness News. Krch, who has declined several interview requests, left the station in recent weeks, a decision reportedly made by management. But judging by the community’s widespread affection for the newswoman — Krch she’s been the source of more than one discussion on talk radio, and her fans are making their feelings known all over social media — one wonders if her ouster could have been handled with a little more tact. The Bakersfield Museum of Art will say goodbye to executive director Bernie Herman early next year. Herman has been at the helm for eight years and, in the words of Susan Hersberger, chairwoman of the museum's board of directors: “He put the museum on firm financial footing. In today’s economy, when museums and symphonies across the country are struggling, we’re in an enviable position at the museum with the financial stability we enjoy.” The search for a new director is under way, and Herman has said he will stay on to help his successor get up to speed. The museum also lost assistant director and local artist David Gordon this year. Over at the Kern County Museum, respected NOR creative services director Roger Perez was named to succeed the odd, blink-and-youmissed-it tenure of museum Executive Director Randall Hayes. Doug Davis, father of the Bakersfield Jazz Festival, announced that the 2012 event would be his last as the main force behind the two-day concert, which has become a world-class affair over the years. The music educator/composer/author and his righthand woman (and wife), Adele, have signaled a willingness to help out, but Davis is eager to start his well-earned
retirement from CSUB. Bakersfield sax-man Paul Perez is handling the festival’s booking, as he did last year. Also retiring from the university is Peggy Sears, director of the Opera Workshop and voice studio. Bakersfield College will lose Sears’ husband, Ron Kean, director of choral studies. The new director of the Masterworks Chorale is CSUB educator Robert Provencio, who takes over from Phil Witmer.
Speaking of personnel changes ... The Arts Council of Kern has lost at least three key staffers in the last year. Laura Wolfe and Jill Egland left for other opportunities, and artist Nicole Saint-John was laid off earlier this month, which leaves the council with one full-timer, one part-timer and an executive director on medical leave. Times are as bleak as they’ve ever been for the nonprofit advocacy and education group, which has been around since 1977. Earlier this year, the council lost two huge contracts that accounted for half its budget, a tough blow for any organization. The council, under board president David Coffey, is looking at a number of survival strategies while it determines the way forward.
Spotlight off ... for now The Spotlight Theatre downtown halted productions indefinitely in May after nearly 14 years and 150 productions. Though theater education was offered over the summer, the 19th Street theater has been dark for most of the year while the board looks for underwriters (more on the Spotlight on Page 21).
A whole new ballgame The first clod of dirt won’t be turned until some time next year, and the most optimistic prediction for opening day isn’t until 2014, but just the announcement of a new baseball stadium/entertainment complex warrants mention, so ambitious and tanCONTINUED ON PAGE 27