Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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This week for Couch’s Corner, I would like to spotlight a very special group of young Shafter/Buttonwillow residents and football players at Shafter High School. Every year before Buttonwillow’s harvest festival and parade, the community led by a local farmer, organizes a clean-up event. This year was no different. A large majority of our local volunteers are the Shafter High School football team (Go Generals!). Community clean-up events are a great way to make a difference in our neighborhoods. This year the community cleanup took place on...
Several times recently we’ve dedicated Couch’s Corner to programs designed to help the homeless and disadvantaged in our community. This week, I thought we’d provide an update on one of those programs, Laborers of the Harvest. In the past few months, LOTH has been awarded three grants and is implementing a first of its kind program that I hope we can replicate throughout the county. The key grant, as far as I’m concerned, is the one that uses state job skills training funds as funneled through one of our county departments, Employer Trainin...
This week our District 4 staff had the pleasure to visit three facilities in Kern County that are trying to address our local homelessness problem. Homelessness is on everyone’s mind these days as the problem seems so intractable but the good news is that work is being done to correct this. The three facilities we visited were the M St. Navigation Center, the Brundage Lane Navigation Center, and the Recycling Lives facility. All of these are relatively new and are part of the community strategy to combat homelessness and get people back on t...
Next Tuesday, March 8, at 7 p.m., the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Specialist Lorie Meza will be presenting at the Old Courthouse Building in Wasco, 810 8th St. She will be discussing community oriented policing to members of the community. I will be joining her to speak at this event. District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer has been invited as well. Representatives from the Sheriff’s and the District Attorney’s Office will be there to speak. With the recent shooting in Wasco, on Feb. 16, and the uptick in serious crimes in gener...
Last year, state and local governments nationwide encountered a once-in- a-generation global pandemic. Our community remained resilient, and the Kern County Department of Public Health ensured combating the virus was a top priority with the successful implementation of the state’s vaccination schedule and outreach to our most vulnerable communities susceptible to covid-19. In March of 2020, the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund provided Kern County the ability to invest relief dollars in a fiscally responsible way that kept Kern residents h...
One of the most rewarding experiences of serving as Fourth District supervisor is working with young adults that share an idealism and belief that no limits can stop what they can accomplish. I was reminded of this when I met with some of the youth leaders at Transitional Youth Mobilizing for Change, a local nonprofit that creates opportunities for young people 16-24 years of age to identify and take on issues of concern in their community. Back in the fall of 2019, these youth were inspired to do a “ball drive” for Sunset Middle School in Wee...
I love it when Ag and energy work together in Kern County to show the world how to do things better and this week, it happened again. The two industries worked together in Arvin at Tasteful Selections, a pioneer producer and distributor of the world’s bite-sized potatoes. On March 24, District 4 staff was on hand to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for an innovative microgrid energy technology created by Concentric Power, Inc. that will help Tasteful Selections maintain production while weathering any disruptions in grid power. The t...
With special thanks to so many who have worked to get the vaccines out throughout Kern County and in particular, District 4, this week I am pleased to announce a couple more hard-to-reach District 4 communities will be able to get their vaccine shots this week. On Friday, March 26, the community of Lost Hills will have a vaccine clinic at Wonderful Park from 5-7 p.m. Vaccines are limited so call to make an appointment. Walk-ups are welcome as supply allows. Special thanks to the West Side Health District for bringing this to the...
Spring is around the corner, and with it, spring cleanups. That’s why I’m pleased to announce that this month the Board of Supervisors approved the bylaws and the formation of the Keep Kern Beautiful Committee, of which you can be a part. With the official formation of this committee on Feb. 9, the county becomes an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, the national organization, in its effort to increase awareness of the problem of litter and the need for beautification, but it also connects us and all of the communities of Kern County int...
One good thing leads to another. While we are anticipating a navigation center for the homeless in Delano to be opening soon, the progress we made in Delano is helping us get programs in other rural communities going as well. Progress in Arvin, Lamont, Taft, McFarland and Wasco are the direct result of what we’ve been able to do in Delano and bodes well for Kern County’s long-term approach to homelessness in the rural areas of Kern County. Already much funding and additional services and beds have been added to Bakersfield with two new nav...
It’s 2021, and with 2020 in the rear view mirror, let’s all hope these vaccines, our social distancing, and our personal protective measures help eradicate this pandemic in the New Year. As we look back upon some of the heroes from 2020, I can’t help but recognize the work of the California Farmworker Foundation and their executive director, Hernan Hernandez, who has been working most of the year out of the spotlight making sure his farmworkers are protected and that the farmers have a healthy workforce. Were it not for the hard work of our f...
After a tumultuous year, we as a community will hopefully get to relax and enjoy Christmas with our loved ones. During this Christmas season, I am thankful for the opportunity to reflect and contemplate about the negative and positive aspects of this year. Although communities in Kern County are not holding large gatherings with friends and family members, we are still finding ways to make adjustments to enjoy this annual holiday. Whether it is reading a new book, singing Christmas carols, driving around your neighborhood to enjoy the shining...
After a tumultuous year, we as a community will hopefully get to relax and enjoy Christmas with our loved ones. During this Christmas season, I am thankful for the opportunity to reflect and contemplate about the negative and positive aspects of this year. Although communities in Kern County are not holding large gatherings with friends and family members, we are still finding ways to make adjustments to enjoy this annual holiday. Whether it is reading a new book, singing Christmas carols, driving around your neighborhood to enjoy the shining...
To protect public health and community standards in District 4, my office works in partnership with Kern County Code Compliance to mitigate land use violations, public nuisances, and violations of property conditions. Taking proactive measures to reduce safety hazards ensure our friends and neighbors have an equitable living standard. Kern County Code Compliance provides a uniform procedure for code enforcement that ensures all residents of Kern County are equally represented. Supporting the Kern County Public Works Department develop technique...
As Fourth District supervisor, I work with Kern County Animal Services on efforts to reduce the euthanasia rates in our county. Recently, KCAS announced for the first time on record, that the shelters operated by the department reached no kill status. No-kill shelters prevent the killing of animals based on arbitrary criteria such as color, age or breed. Furthermore no-kill shelters find a placement for 90% of their population. Reaching this important community achievement took unified leadership and was a personal goal of mine when you...
In light of the ongoing battle against covid-19, Kern County received a surprise visit from the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. As the nation’s doctor, Vice Admiral Adams oversees the 6,000 member U.S Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and guides public health officials through general advisories and action reports on issues regarding advancing the health of the nation. During his visit, Dr. Adams encouraged our community to follow public health guidelines to maintain the positive gains made in Kern County. Wear a mask, wash y...
In the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, folks started saying things like “defund the police.” In the aftermath of the gang-related killing of 11-year-old Makaliah Osomo and 12-year-old Elayna Saidee of Delano July 2, I hope those conversations are put to bed. Improving the police force should always be on the table, certainly no police or sheriff’s department is perfect, but this recent media blitz on how cops are bad is a false narrative that is so much more harmful than helpful. Those poor girls deserved the protection, and they defin...
