My Own Personal Bear
First of all this was entirely my fault. Entirely. I left half a package of dog treats in the glove compartment of my old Subaru. I live in a village at the base of the mountains that surround the...
Chem Waste’s Bioreactor at Kettleman City
Will Kettleman city residents have to wait until Chem Waste blows itself up, or like Hondo Chemicals in Bakersfield, sets itself on fire, to get somebody to do something?
The Valley’s Dirty Air Just Gets Worse
Every time I drive down to Bakersfield from the mountains surrounding the Central Valley, I take a big breath at the top of the Grapevine on I-5, and try not to breathe the air on the flatlands...
Mystery Author as Entrepreneur? Yes, really.
Most writers aren't extroverts, and find picking up the phone to promote themselves second in dread only to a spinal tap, a baby shower, and an IRS audit--all on the same day. Only a few bestselling...
Whistleblower Charges Tejon Ranch Killing Mountain Lions Illegally
A former Tejon Ranch hunting guide, Bron Sanders, has turned whistleblower.
Is the Grapevine the Right Track?
The California High Speed Rail project is reconsidering the Grapevine Pass route for the railroad system connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles. This must have been a bombshell for the folks...
It’s Not the Delta Smelt, folks.
Don't think too much and you can blame the Delta Smelt for causing the agricultural water shortage in the Central Valley. But farmers are pretty smart people. They know who they're up against, even...
Whew! Threats to Hondo Chemicals?
Hondo Chemicals in Bakersfield had to set itself on fire with chemical plumes soaring into the night sky to ignite action to clean up what's been called "an unauthorized dump" on Stockdale Highway...
Methyl Iodide on your Strawberries, anyone?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first registered methyl iodide as a pesticide in October 2007, despite a letter from more than 50 scientists, including five Nobel Laureates. National...
