A blog about Business & Finance, Neighborhoods, and News.
|
Can we silence ambulances during quiet times? Any local stations going high def? Why is the San Lauren dog park such a mess? What's with the dirt pile at 24th and Oak streets? Ask TBC: What's with the odd-sized paper in The Californian? What's the latest on the Isabella Dam? Why are the Mark Ponder billboards still up? When will Fairfax-178 be completely done? Why is CSUB allowing trees to die? What's with all the spiders? June 06 July 06 August 06 September 06 October 06 November 06 December 06 January 07 February 07 March 07 April 07 May 07 June 07 July 07 August 07 September 07 October 07 November 07 December 07 January 08 February 08 March 08 April 08 May 08 June 08 July 08 August 08 September 08 October 08 November 08 December 08 January 09 February 09 March 09 April 09 May 09 June 09 July 09 August 09 September 09 October 09 November 09 |
|
|
Q: Is there anything that can be done about the nightly assault on the neighborhood peace by the local ambulance company?
Unfortunately I live near South H Street. Every night at least once, if not more, I am awakened by an ambulance running "code 3.” Many times this is during the very early morning hours when there is absolutely no traffic in sight. Many cities have adopted local ordinances limiting the use of sirens during these “quiet times.”
What can we do to stop...
Q: Are any T.V. stations in Bakersfield considering going H.D.?
- Rob Linares
A: We were able to talk to general managers at two local television stations and here's what they said:
KBAK Channel 29: Most of its network programming is offered in high definition but local programming like news is not - yet - because buying and converting to needed equipment is very expensive - more than $1 million, said General Manager Teresa Burgess.
But the station is working toward those upgrades, she...
Q: The condition of the dog park at San Lauren Park has been a problem for many months. Irrigation water from over-watering sits stagnant in a massive "pond" along the south side of the fenced-in area, while there are patches of bone dry bare dirt in other areas due to poor sprinkler maintenance. It's so bad they won't even mow the soggy area, and grass is left to grow wild.
Tree roots are sitting in waterlogged soil and some have already died as a result. An irrigation control...
Q: The large mound of dirt at Oak Street is slowly being trucked away. Where did it come from? Where is it going? And what will become of that corner lot?
It is such a highly visible area with many people passing by on their way to and from work as well as out-of-towners attending events at Rabobank who stay at one of the many motels nearby. I would think it's in our city's best interest to give thought as to what becomes of that area.
- Darlyn Baker
A: Brad Underwood, city assistant...
Q: When do you expect to run out of the odd-sized paper you use for part of the paper on weekends?
- E. Suorez
A: John Wells, The Californian's vice president of advertising, marketing, circulation & operations, took this one:
I assume the reader is referring to the over-sized DRIVE auto section we run each Saturday in The Californian.
This was originally pitched to the auto dealers to use up old 54-inch newsprint when we made the switch to a 46-inch web. The dealers found it so...
Q: What is the latest on the work being done at the Isabella Dam? Are there any updates on the safety issues there? What is the current condition of the dam?
- Mona Twocats-Romero
Q: I know there is some testing going on at the dam but we really miss the lake being full. When will they restore the water level?
- Elroy Mann
A: There aren't a lot of answers to these questions yet.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers just started exploratory drilling and trenching to help assess the integrity...
Q: Why are Mark Ponder's billboards still up all over town? He died in July. It's kind of unsettling and it must be hard on his family and friends.
-- Numerous callers and writers
A: We contacted the Fresno office of CBS Outdoor, the billboard company that handled Ponder's account. Trenton Suntrapak, who manages that office, e-mailed this response last Thursday:
"We are saddened by the untimely death of our longtime client, Mark Ponder. The billboards bearing his image will be...
Q: The Highway 178 expansion looks almost finished. However, they seem to have stopped with finishing the off-ramp when you are going westbound on 178. All the other on-ramps and eastbound off-ramp are complete. When is that one going to be completed?
- Linda Kuban
A: It’s not clear. There was a design flaw with the westbound off-ramp, said Janet Wheeler, spokeswoman for the Thomas Roads Improvement Program. The ramp is being redesigned and then will be constructed. Wheeler...
Q: I'm concerned that Cal State Bakersfield is allowing 70 15- to 20-year-old trees to wither away and die at the old Southwest Baseball fields due to lack of water and maintenance. It is hard to believe given the fact that Bakersfield is a nationally noted "Tree City" that this can be allowed to happen.
Given the emphasis on "Green Living" and the demonstrated ability of trees to help remove pollutants from the air we all breathe (and see before breathing) that CSUB...
Q: Several area residents who communicate with The Californian on the social networking site Twitter have remarked recently about a perceived increase in spider populations in neighborhoods around Bakersfield. Many say they have never seen so many spiders on their patios and porches, or in their garages and houses.
So we asked some experts: Is this a case of mass arachnophobia or are the eight-legged bugs truly experiencing a mini baby boom?
- Staff writer Steven Mayer
A: David Haviland,...
|
