A blog about Business & Finance, Neighborhoods, and News.
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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 |
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Location:
Young Street and Harris Road,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: There appears to be a high-security building on Young Street, just north of Harris Road on the east side of the street. It is located just behind the Sam's Club in southwest Bakersfield. What is it? --Don Kurtz A: It’s a Verizon Wireless communications and administrative building, said Jim Eggert, principal planner for the city of Bakersfield. He added Verizon wants to add a 120-foot-tall cellular tower near its facility. City planning has requested the tower...
Q: Is there a way to recycle the plastic bags that my paper comes in? I do have a few uses for the bags, but not enough to use them up and I hate to throw them away. Can the paper carrier reuse them?
–– Kim Bean
A: There are several options for recycling these bags.
Vons grocery stores will accept them as part of their plastic bag recycling program.
In fact, the store will take just about any plastic bag, including those from other grocery stores, department stores...
Location:
San Quentin State Prison,
San Quentin, CA
Q: Can you please give us some information regarding the current status of the state’s execution of death row inmates? The state Web site says executions are being blocked by officials, however the information on their site is outdated. Can you give us information regarding the death row inmate that was supposed to be executed before these such procedures were blocked? Where is the inmate now? Is he stuck in appeals? Is this the end of state executions? –– James Wright...
Location:
Elm Street and 24th,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: I noticed that Elm Street is blocked off at 24th Street. Is this temporary or permanent? How can you have a street blocked off when we all pay taxes for street maintenance? --Pat Mahan A: It is a permanent entrance closure, said Raul Rojas, the city’s public works director. Widening 24th Street near Elm Street is part of the Thomas Road Improvement Program. Rojas said he didn’t know when this work would begin but added the environmental process is...
Location:
Akers and Pacheco,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: When is the Akers railroad crossing at Pacheco going to be completed? It appears to be about 99 percent finished, but nothing seems to be happening there any more. Traffic cones indicate that it is not yet completed. — Mark Gardner A: The crossing should be finished by the end of the month, said Nick Fidler, civil engineer III with the city of Bakersfield. The city’s part of the construction was finished in mid-February, Fidler said. He said they are waiting for...
Location:
East Belle Terrace and South Mt. Vernon Ave.,
Bakersfield, CA
Q. Who is responsible for the landscaping on the west side of South Mt. Vernon Avenue between Gateway Avenue and East Belle Terrace? It is planted, watered but not maintained. — Peggy Schrader, Bakersfield A. Thanks for the question, Peggy. The unruly plantings near your office are the responsibility of a private individual, according to Ed Lazaroti of the city parks department. The department maintains plantings that grow in public right-of-ways. You can report the...
Location:
Akers and Pacheco,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: When is the Akers railroad crossing at Pacheco going to be completed? It appears to be about 99 percent finished, but nothing seems to be happening there any more. Traffic cones indicate that it is not yet completed. -- Mark Gardner A: The crossing should be finished by the end of the month, said Nick Fidler, civil engineer III with the city of Bakersfield. The city’s part of the construction was finished in mid-February, Fidler said. He said they are waiting for...
Location:
Goose Lake Slough,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: I realize that new home construction has caused Goose Lake Slough to be diverted. I’m curious to know what the future is for it. The portion I cross over every day (Nord Avenue north of Stockdale Highway) is now dry. — Dotty Kramer According to the Kern County Water Agency, the Goose Lake Slough is dry because water is currently unavailable for recharge (when water filters through the soil to the underground aquifer for later use). And Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage...
Location:
Mall View Road,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: Are there any plans for the old Vons building on Mall View Road in northeast Bakersfield? It has been vacant for quite some time. — Gina Garbell Jim Eggert, Bakersfield’s assistant planning director, said the city hasn’t received any plans for changes to the building that has been vacant since the Vons store closed about two years ago. Eggert said he also hasn’t heard anything concrete about the building getting a new tenant.
Q: I’ve read all kinds of dialog about changing the Bakersfield welcom sign, except how much it is going to cost the city tax payers.
If they haven’t bid it out (if it even goes to bid), you could get a pretty good idea by finding out how much the present (and nothing wrong with) signs cost.
I’d like to know.
–– Jay Dillard, Bakersfield
A: This is taken from a story The Californian first printed Feb. 25, by staff writer David Burger.
The leaf...
Location:
Mount Vernon Avenue,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: Are there any plans to resurface Mt. Vernon Avenue between Highway 178 and University Avenue in the near future? -- Stan Scott A: Construction is slated for spring or summer 2010, but the city is trying to move that up to next year, said Arnold Ramming, civil engineer with the Bakersfield Public Works Department. Last year the city completely rebuilt the stretch of road from University Avenue to Panorama Drive on the east side of Bakersfield College. Workers pulled out some...
Location:
Highway 99 and Panama Lane,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: What is the reason for the delay on the Wal-Mart Supercenter and Office Depot at Panama Lane and Highway 99? Kern County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Twisselman was going to rule on the project in June 2006 ... eight months ago. I have been told “it is a traffic issue.” Since this project has been held up in court by the local retail clerks union, Bakersfield has allowed the following "non-union” projects to be built and opened. 1. Costco –– Stine... |
