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What's happening to the huge empty lot on Oak Street? Why are the Highway 178 Oleanders dying? What's up with the WinCo planned for the southwest? Why doesn't Joseph's move to a larger location? What's the latest on the federal courthouse? Are alcohol and drug laws enforced? Why plow the riverbed? Narrow southwest road issues Why the need for new canals and ponds What's up with "Tuscany Village"? 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 |
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Q: What is a realistic time frame for construction to begin on any of the proposed freeways in the Bakersfield area?
— Roger Arellano
A: City of Bakersfield officials estimate that the first phase of construction for the Westside Parkway, the east-to-west freeway north of the Kern River, will begin sometime in 2009.
Design work on the freeway is underway and a critical federal environmental review of the project has been completed.
The city currently only has money to...
Location:
Fairfax and Highway 178,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: According to an earlier Ask The Californian segment, (see below) work on extending 178 Freeway eastward and building a new interchange at Fairfax (Road) was supposed to begin early 2007. It hasn't happened yet. So when will work on the new interchange begin and why the delay? — Eric Elias, Bakersfield A: Bids for the construction of the Fairfax Road and Highway 178 interchange will be opened by the city on July 12, according to Bakersfield’s Assistant Public Works...
Location:
Wible Road and Brundage Lane,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: On the west side of Wible Road at its intersection with Brundage Lane, Oak Street and Stockdale Highway, the landscaping is a disaster and has been for several years. The oleanders have nearly all died and a crop of trees of heaven are growing. Who is supposed to maintain this area, and why has such a high-profile intersection been allowed to deteriorate? –– Buffy Bebaker A: The area is California Department of Transportation territory, said Gloria Samaniego, a...
Location:
Mount Vernon Avenue and Bernard Street,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: What is going on at the northeast corner of Mount Vernon Avenue and Bernard Street? The original Lutheran church has been torn down and big earthmovers are renovating the area. — Joanne Frantz East Hills Mall purchased and tore down the church on the property in the middle of last year, said general manager Tommie Sparks. Bakersfield Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church moved to Shalimar Drive in August, said Pastor Marco Valenca. Workers have finished grading the six-acre...
Q: On May 16, more than a year ago, an article by Gretchen Wenner in Tuesday’s Californian indicated that in case of the failure of Isabella Dam, more than 100,000 people in Bakersfield would be under water within 31⁄2 hours. A floodplain map was to be produced and made available, according to Georgianna Armstrong, manager of Kern County’s Office Of Emergency Services, so residents would know approximately where the water from the dam would flow down the valley. To...
Location:
1401 Skyway Dr # 200,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: I recently planned an airline flight to Phoenix. A round trip coach fare from Meadows Field was more than $600. The same airline from Burbank with a similar itinerary was $280. What financial incentive is there to use Meadows Field? — Fred Lawson There’s probably one of two reasons for the high fare out of Bakersfield. Either you waited until the last minute to book your flight or a mistake in the airline’s booking system resulted in the inflated fare. If you...
Location:
Oswell Street and Potomac Avenue,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: A while ago the exits off the Oswell Street overpass (at Edison Highway) to Pioneer Drive and Potomac Avenue were closed. The Pioneer exit is now open while the Potomac exit remains closed. The Potomac exit has its own turn lane, making it the safer and more logical exit to reopen, in my opinion. So why was the Pioneer exit reopened? -- Scott Lewis A: The county closed Pioneer at the same time as Potomac, but the Pioneer curve is not as steep, said Craig Pope, director of the...
Location:
Rosdale Highway and Renfro Road,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: I’m curious about what is going to happen on Rosedale Highway, just west of Renfro Road, the south side. The new homes that are going in have put in curbing and are making the road wider. But there is one home that is not new and does not seem to be involved in any of the road work. It looks a little silly to have all this work done, and just skip over a portion of the road. Doesn’t seem safe either. —Shelley Cauzza A: That section of road will likely have its...
Location:
Truxtun Avenue and Coffee Road,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: I am wondering if the cameras/automatic ticket lights are still working and turned on during the major construction project going on at the intersection of Truxtun Extension and Coffee Road? Traffic is all jammed in this area and often cars are stuck in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red, so do they get a ticket as well as being late to where they are going? –– Jennifer Eggers A: The cameras are still on, but drivers shouldn’t worry about...
Location:
Bernard Street and Mount Vernon Avenue,
Bakersfield, CA
Q: How was it that the extension of Mall View Road west to Mt. Vernon Avenue was designed with no pedestrian accommodation? The extension that serves all the new retail northeast of Bernard Street and Mt. Vernon is used by many pedestrians as well as strollers and wheelchairs. It does not seem reasonable that these folks should have to go all the way south to Bernard or north to Columbus Street to find safe east-west access. -- Jane Gardner A: If only they’d built the...
Q: Correct me if I’m wrong here, but with all the new food places and restaurants springing up in northwest Bakersfield, which is where I live, how come it seems like there’s a lack of new, locally-owned, true Bakersfield, original food places opening out there? Not that I don’t appreciate the national chains being out there, but it seems like a lot more national chains have opened (or are soon opening) out there than locally owned food businesses.
–– Bryan...
Q: I'm getting tired of having to go to the southwest or other parts of town for entertainment purposes. And I'm sure other northwest residents feel the same way. So, I’m wondering, will there be any plans for a movie theater, bowling alley, bike path, or other place of entertainment in northwest bakersfield any time soon?
–– Bryan Jackson
A: The short answer is “no,” said Assistant Planning Director Jim Eggert.
Developers are planning more commercial...
Location:
Tehachapi, CA
Q: Why is it that the law enforcement officers in this area do not wear any head covering? With the bright, intense sun you would think it wise to cover your head for more reasons than just heat and to shade one’s eyes. A cap or hat also serves as an I.D. in a crowd and completes the uniform. So what gives?
— Ted McClaren
A: Staff at most California law enforcement agencies usually don’t wear hats, Kern County sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Komin said. Partly it’s...
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