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EspañolBAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
'Bakersfield' (pop. 323,213) is the county seat of Kern County, California, USA. It is one of the fastest-growing, large-population cities in the United States. As of 2007, the population was estimated at 323,213 within the city limits, making it the 11th largest city in California and the 58th largest city in the United States according to U.S. Census estimates. The Bakersfield Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) has a population of 780,711, making it the 65th largest metropolitan area in the country. It is California's third largest inland city, after Fresno and Sacramento. The city's economy relies on agriculture, petroleum extraction, and refinement industries. Bakersfield is also the 11th fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 100,000, and the fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 250,000.
History
The Yokuts Indians were the first people to settle in the San Joaquin Valley, roughly 8,000 years ago. In 1776, the Spanish missionary Father Francisco Garcés became the first European to explore the area. In 1851, gold was discovered in the Kern River in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, and in 1865, oil was discovered in the valley. The Bakersfield area, a tule- reed-infested malarial swamp, was first known as Kern Island to the handful of pioneers who built log cabins there in 1860. The area was subject to flooding from the Kern River delta, which occupied what is now the downtown area.
Founding
In 1863, former Iowa militia member and former California state senator, Colonel Thomas Baker, moved into the Kern Island area to champion the cause of land reclamation. He settled into a tule-reed thatched log cabin near present-day Truxtun Avenue and R Street. Baker, who had experience as a surveyor and was reputed to be one of the few government officials not corrupted by big business, was recommended to survey and lay out the town of Visalia in the late 1850s. He was also known for his hospitality.
Baker grew a field of alfalfa, near the modern Amtrak station, for travelers to feed their horses. Newspapers as far away as San Francisco advised travelers to visit Baker's field and use his field of alfalfa to feed their stock.
As more families moved to the area, Baker subsidized development out of his own pocket. He constructed public sawmills, helped other pioneers drain their land, and surveyed the land. Baker was asked to plot out a new town after a flood of the Kern River rerouted the river channel to the north. At the founding ceremony in 1869, residents surprised Baker by naming the town Bakersfield, in his honor.
Baker died of typhoid fever in 1872, and is buried at Union Cemetery.
Population growth
The town continued to grow and reached a population of about 801 by 1880, and 2,626 by 1890.[1] In 1900, its population was approximately 4,836. The town continued to grow despite major floods in 1867 and 1893, and fires in 1889 and 1919. In September 2007, population has been estimated at 780,711.
In 1874, the Southern Pacific Railroad established itself in the area, but was unpopular because of its high fare rate. On May 27 1898, the San Joaquin Valley Railroad (popularly known as "The People's Railroad"), now the Santa Fe Railroad, arrived in Bakersfield, greatly boosting the population.
In the 1930s, the Great Plains drought and dust storms (commonly called the Dust Bowl) precipitated a large influx of refugees from Arkansas and Oklahoma, who mostly found work in the agriculture and oil industries. The overwhelming number of refugees caused considerable social strife. After World War II, the city's population grew slowly and steadily.
Migration from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Southern California brought new residents, who were mostly employed by the oil industry. By 1980, Bakersfield's population was about 105,000. During the next 20 years, Bakersfield's population exploded and surpassed 250,000 by 2000. When the price of homes, violence, and gangs increased in the Los Angeles area, hundreds of families chose the area for its affordability and its relative proximity to Southern California.
1952 earthquake
On July 21, 1952 an earthquake struck at 4:52 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.[2] The earthquake, which was felt from San Francisco to the Mexican border, destroyed the nearby communities of Tehachapi and Arvin. The earthquake’s destructive force also bent cotton fields into U shapes, slid a shoulder of the Tehachapi Mountains across all four lanes of the Ridge Route, collapsed a water tower creating a flash flood, and destroyed the railroad tunnels in the mountain chain. Luckily, Bakersfield was spared, experiencing minor architectural damage without loss of life. The earthquake measured 7.3 on the Richter Scale.
The first aftershock came on July 29, and did minor architectural damage, but raised fears that the flow of the Friant-Kern Canal could be dangerously altered, potentially flooding the city and surrounding areas.
Aftershocks, for the next month, had become normal to Bakersfield residents, until at 3:42 p.m August 22 a 6.5 earthquake struck directly under the town's epicenter in the most densely populated area of the Southern San Joaquin Valley. The town did have some good fortune, however, as the quake struck late on a Friday afternoon when businesses were already closed down or beginning to close down. Four people died in the aftershock, and many of the town's historic structures were permanently lost.
Geography and climate
Bakersfield is located at , and at 120 m (400 ft) elevation. It lies near the southern "horseshoe" end of the San Joaquin Valley, with the southern tip of the Sierra Nevadas just to the east. The city limits extend to the Sequoia National Forest, at the foot of the Greenhorn Mountain Range and at the entrance to the Kern Canyon. To the south, the Tehachapi Mountains feature the historic Tejon Ranch. To the west, the Temblor Range, which features the Carrizo Plain National Monument and the San Andreas Fault, is approximately 35 miles across the valley floor.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 296.3 km² (114.4 mi²), of which 292.9 km² (113.1 mi²) is land and 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) is water (1.14%).
Bakersfield lies approximately 160 km (100 mi) north of Los Angeles (about a 1.5-hour drive on I-5 and State Route 99) and about 500 km (300 mi) southeast of the state capital, Sacramento (about a 4.5-hour drive on State Route 99).
Bakersfield's climate is a semi-arid dry steppe climate (Koppen climate classification ''BSh''), defined by long, hot, dry summers and brief, cool, sometimes rainy winters. In fact, Bakersfield is one of the sunniest cities in the U.S. (just behind Yuma, Arizona and Palm Springs, California). Bakersfield enjoys long-lasting, mild autumns and early springs, giving the region a unique climate suitable for growing a wide variety of crops (ranging from citrus to carrots to almonds and pistachios). With an average rainfall of only 6.49 inches (165mm) per year, most precipitation falls during winter and spring. Since Bakersfield receives less than 10 inches (250mm) of rain per year, some consider Bakersfield to be a desert. Typically, no rain falls from May through September. Summers tend to be very hot in Bakersfield with daily temperatures usually exceeding 100°F from mid June to as late as mid September, and occasionally exceeding 110°F. Winters often have mild daytime temperatures reaching into the low 60s°F (15°C). Mornings and nights however, tend to be cold (especially in December and January), where lows can reach as low as 20°F, often coming with dense Tule Fog and low visibility, causing many schools to have fog delays as long as three hours.
The American Lung Association ranked Bakersfield as the most ozone-polluted city in the nation in 2006.[3] It was also ranked as the second-most polluted city in terms of both short-term and year-round particle pollution.[4][5]
| Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures | ||||||||||||
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec High °F | 82 | 87 | 94 | 101 | 107 | 114 | 115 | 112 | 112 | 103 | 91 | 83 |
| Norm High °F | 56.3 | 63.5 | 68.3 | 75.7 | 83.8 | 91.6 | 96.9 | 95.4 | 89.4 | 79.5 | 65.3 | 56.1 |
| Norm Low °F | 39.3 | 43 | 46.2 | 49.6 | 56.8 | 63.7 | 69.2 | 68.4 | 63.9 | 54.9 | 44.2 | 38.2 |
| Rec Low °F | 20 | 25 | 31 | 33 | 37 | 45 | 52 | 52 | 45 | 29 | 28 | 19 |
| Precip (in) | 1.18 | 1.21 | 1.41 | 0.45 | 0.24 | 0.12 | 0 | 0.08 | 0.15 | 0.3 | 0.59 | 0.76 |
| ''Source: USTravelWeather.com [1]'' | ||||||||||||
Population
Much of the city’s population can trace its roots to the "Okies" and "Arkies" who migrated to California to find work during the Dust Bowl era of the 1930s. In later and recent years, the area experienced a migration of people from Mexico, South America, and Central America seeking jobs primarily in agriculture. Bakersfield also has large Filipino, Asian Indian (mostly of Punjabi origin), and Basque communities.
Demographics
As of the 2000 census, there were 247,057 people, 83,441 households, and 60,995 families residing in Bakersfield. The population density was 843.4/km² (2,184.4/mi²). There were 88,262 housing units at an average density of 301.3/km² (780.4/mi²).
The racial makeup of the city was 61.87% White, 9.16% Black or African American, 1.40% Native American, 4.33% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 18.68% from other races, and 4.43% from two or more races. 32.45% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 83,441 households out of which 42.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 15.5% were female householders with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 21.5% of households consisted of a single individual; 7.2% were additionally age 65 or older. 42.5% of households claimed children under age 18. The average household size was 2.92, and the average family size was 3.41.
By age, the population was spread out with 32.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were age 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.
The median income for a household was $39,982, and the median income for a family was $45,556. The median income for males was $38,834, compared to $27,148 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,678. About 14.6% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Government and Economy
The Kern County seat, established in 1866 in the mountain town of Havilah, was moved to Bakersfield in 1874. Bakersfield has been incorporated twice in its history. It was first incorporated in 1874, but subsequently disbanded in 1876 with the purpose of deposing an unruly city marshal. The city was incorporated again in 1898. Currently, Bakersfield is governed by a city council and manager system, with a mayor acting as the presiding officer.
Bakersfield is home to the largest carrot-producing operations in the world, Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms. In addition, one of the nation's largest and oldest farming co-ops, the California Cotton Cooperative Association (CalCot), was founded in Bakersfield in 1927.
Other crops harvested in Bakersfield include table grapes, almonds, pistachios, citrus fruits, wheat, garlic, and potatoes.
In 1899, the Kern River Oil Field was uncovered at the Discovery Well by two brothers digging in a pit along the Kern River, about one-mile east of Gordon's Ferry (where, in the 1850s, the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoaches had once crossed the Kern River). Advances in steam-injection of oil wells rejuvenated the oil field in the early 1960s. The oilfield is still active today and is one of the nation's highest yielding fields of all time. Other local oil fields include the Midway-Sunset field, the former Naval Petroleum Reserve at Elk Hills, the Kern Front field, and the Belridge field. Oil is still important to the local economy, although the area's oil economy is dwindling.
Bakersfield's primary airport is Meadows Field Airport. A new terminal was recently completed in 2006.
Politics
Bakersfield differs from many California cities in that it is overwhelmingly conservative. According to the Bay Area Center for Research, Bakersfield is ranked as the 8th most conservative city in the United States, and the most conservative city in California [2]. In 2004, the city cast 65.9% of its votes for George W. Bush, and 33.5% for Kerry. As a result, the city is a favorite stopping place for many Republican presidential candidates.
Neighborhoods
Downtown
Downtown Bakersfield is bounded by 24th Street to the North, F Street to the West, California Avenue to the South, and Union Avenue to the East. The two main streets of downtown Bakersfield are Truxtun Avenue and Chester Avenue. Unlike most downtown areas in major cities, downtown Bakersfield does not have a towering skyline, although it has a couple tall buildings such as the Bank of America Building (10 stories tall), the Holiday Inn Select Hotel (9 stories tall), and the Padre Hotel (9 stories tall). Notable attractions in downtown Bakersfield include Rabobank Arena, the McMurtrey Aquatic Center, the Padre Hotel, Bakersfield Museum of Art, the historic Fox Theatre, a nightlife district centered around 19th Street and Wall Street Alley, which features Bakersfield landmarks Guthrie's Alley Cat on one end and Jerry's Pizza on the other.
Buck Owens Boulevard
Formerly named Pierce Rd, it was renamed Buck Owens Boulevard in 1998 after country music legend Buck Owens. This area is located near Highway 99, between Rosedale Highway/24th Street in Bakersfield, and Airport Drive in Oildale. It is the heart of the Bakersfield's Country Music scene. The main attractions are the Bakersfield sign (formerly located at intercection of Calfornia and Union Ave.) and the Buck Owens Crystal Palace night club, museum, and restaurant. It is also located near Bakersfield Beach Park, John's Incredible Pizza, and the locally famous truck stop restaurant Zingo's Cafe.
Westchester
The Westchester district is just north of Downtown Bakersfield. It is bounded by Highway 99 to the West, 24th street to the south, Chester Ave. to the east, and the Kern River, across from Oildale, to the north. Westchester is a mostly residential neighborhood with large Hispanic and African American populations. The neighborhood is known for large shady trees and historic homes built between the 1900s and 1950s. Main points of interest include the Kern County Museum, Sam Lynn Ballpark, and the Garces circle.
Stockdale
The Stockdale district is bounded roughly by Ming Avenue to the south, California Avenue to the East, the Kern River to the north, and Coffee Road to the West. Stockdale is a mix of middle-to-upper class residential, retail and offices and is home to Stockdale Country Club. Neighborhoods here include Stockdale Estates, Olde Stockdale, Quailwood, Park Stockdale and Westpark. This area has three major commercial streets -- California Avenue, Truxtun Avenue, and Stockdale Highway. Notable points of interest include Truxtun Lake, the Kern River Parkway, and the Stockdale Tower. California Avenue is home to many office buildings, a mini financial district and regional offices for many oil companies. The Stockdale Tower, standing at 12 stories and 175 feet tall, was built in the early 1980s and is the tallest building in Kern County.
Southwest Bakersfield
Southwest Bakersfield is Bakersfield's most populated and most diverse part of town - in terms of residents and neighborhoods. This area was the primary location for growth in Bakersfield from the 1960s through the 1990s, when development finally began in the northwest and resumed in the northeast. Southwest Bakersfield is still growing rapidly today, and has seen three high schools built in the area since 1990, with another one, Independence High School, scheduled to open in August 2008. Additionally, this area contains many master-planned middle class neighborhoods such as Laurelglen, Campus Park, Amberton, The Oaks as well as Stone Creek, Haggin Oaks and Seven Oaks. Southwest Bakersfield has two major shopping centers, the Valley Plaza Mall, and The Marketplace, and many Asian style restaurants. California State University, Bakersfield is located directly behind the Marketplace and anchors an emerging business district home to Mercy Southwest Hospital and medical offices, Aera Energy and the regional offices for Chevron and State Farm Insurance.
Kern City
Kern City is located in Southwest Bakersfield across from West High School. The development was built in the 1960s by Del Webb at the same time he was building Sun City and is an enclave of mostly senior citizen residents.
Northwest Bakersfield
Northwest Bakersfield is located between the Bakersfield suburbs of Rosedale, Fruitvale, and Oildale. It is one of the wealthiest areas in Kern County, and has seen rapid growth over the last 15 years. Northwest Bakersfield is populated mostly by caucasians, but also has small populations of Hispanics and African Americans. It is home to rural Greenacres and newly master-planned neighborhoods such as Riverlakes Ranch, Madison Grove and Brimhall. Northwest Bakersfield has one major shopping center, the Northwest Promenade. This area is known for traffic congestion with few east-west and north-south arterials connecting to the rest of the Bakersfield Metropolitan Area. 7th Standard Road and Olive Drive connects northwest Bakersfield to Oildale, while only Rosedale Highway connects Rosedale to downtown Bakersfield in the east-west direction. Only two roads (Coffee Rd. and Calloway Drive) connect Northwest Bakersfield to Southwest Bakersfield in a north-south direction.
Northeast Bakersfield
Northeast Bakersfield is bounded by Highway 178 to the south, Union Avenue to the west, the Panorama bluffs to the north, and Fairfax Rd. to the east. Northeast Bakersfield has large Hispanic and Caucasian populations, as well as significant African American and Native American populations. Northeast Bakersfield is home to some wealthy neighborhoods -- such as the Bakersfield Country Club and La Cresta -- and middle and lower class neighborhoods as well. It has one major shopping center, the East Hills Mall. Bakersfield College is located in northeast Bakersfield. Unlike most of Bakersfield which sits on the flat valley floor, northeast Bakersfield is situated along rolling hills that are about 300 feet higher in elevation than the rest of the city. Bakersfield College is given the nickname "Harvard on the Hill" because of its location on top of the hill in northeast Bakersfield and because of its less than elite quality of education. The Panorama Bluffs provides a view of the Kern River oilfields, Oildale and downtown Bakersfield.
Rio Bravo
The Rio Bravo area is located east of northeast Bakersfield, in the foothills. It is largely rural and unpopulated, but is currently seeing rapid growth and development with Bakersfield's City in the Hills project. Points of interest include Hart Memorial Park (named after Leo Hart), Lake Ming, the Rio Bravo Country Club, and the California Animal Living Museum (CALM Zoo), and is the former home of Mesa Marin Raceway before its demolition.
Old Town Kern
Old Town Kern is located primarily around Baker Street, near the former town of Sumner. It has a large homeless population, and is currently under redevelopment. This district is home to many Basque cuisine restaurants.
Education
CSUB's Walter Stiern Library
Bakersfield College
Two of the earliest schools founded in Kern County were Mrs. Thomas Baker's school, opened in 1863 at the Baker home (near present-day 19th and N Streets); and a Catholic parochial school opened by Reverend Father Daniel Dade in 1865 in Havilah (then the county seat). In 1880, Norris School was established. The land for this school was donated by William Norris, a local farmer. Thirteen to twenty students were taught in its one classroom during the 1880s. Bakersfield City School District (BCSD), is the state's largest elementary school district. The first high school in Bakersfield, Kern County Union High School, opened in 1893. It was renamed Bakersfield High School after World War II.
The site at California Avenue and F Street is the location of the first campus of Bakersfield College, which was established in 1913 and relocated in 1956 to its current location overlooking the Panorama Bluffs in northeast Bakersfield. Bakersfield College has an enrollment of 16,000 students. To serve a growing baby-boomer population after World War II, the Kern High School District has steadily expanded to eighteen campuses and more than 35,000 students, making it the largest high school district in the state. In 1965, a university in the California State University system was founded in Bakersfield. California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) has approximately 7,800 students. It is an NCAA Division II sports powerhouse in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and some sports, including wrestling (PAC-10), competing in Division I. CSUB is currently attempting to join the Big West Conference and become a Division I athletic school.
Despite efforts to improve college admission rates in the community, Bakersfield still lags in that area. According to a March 2006 study by the Taubman Center for State and Local Government of Harvard University, the Bakersfield metropolitan area is one of the lowest college-educated communities in the nation [3]. Calculated using 2000 US Census figures, the study shows that only 13.5% of adults in the Bakersfield area have a bachelor's degree or higher. This contrasts sharply with the state and the national figures of 26% and 24%, respectively.
Housing and development
Bakersfield city limits continue to expand due to a "hopscotch" pattern of housing development. Westward annexation, which could eventually subsume the area between the base of the Sierra Nevada range and the Temblor Range, has led some planners to consider incorporating a new city to govern the area of rapid growth to the west of the city.
The city of Shafter, a small farming town north of Bakersfield, has filed a suit to limit the northern expansion of Bakersfield's limits. Shafter has also annexed large pieces of farmland to its east and south to ensure that Bakersfield does not envelop its southern area.
The large bluff and plateau which lie east of Bakersfield—toward the Rio Bravo and Kern Canyon area—have been under development for the last sixty years. Because the steep, north-facing edge of the bluff provides a view of the foothills, mountains, oil fields, and Kern River, the city government has attempted to balance development and preservation in this area. In addition, city leaders recognize the possibility that extensive development may lead to erosion and landslides. It's estimated by local officials that Bakersfield and its outlying suburbs will reach populations over one million people by 2020.
Transportation
Highways
Bakersfield is currently serviced by three freeways. California State Route 99 bisects Bakersfield from north to south, while State Route 58 exists as a freeway east of SR-99, servicing the rapidly growing southeast part of the city and extending over the Tehachapi mountains to Tehachapi, Mojave, and Barstow. State Route 178 consists of a short segment of freeway that runs from a point near downtown to the northeastern part of the city, although there is currently no direct freeway connection between SR-99 and SR-178.
Bakersfield is the second-largest city in the U.S (behind Fresno[6]) that is not directly linked to an Interstate highway.
Though interest in extending Interstate 40 to Bakersfield has increased in recent years, lack of funding has prevented the proposed extension of I-40 to a neighboring city, San Luis Obispo.
Currently, plans for freeway alignments to the metropolitan Bakersfield area include three east-west connections on the northern, central, and southern parts of town. These connections would link Highways 58 and 178, the future downtown Centennial Corridor, and the future Kern River Westside Parkway to one another or to State Route 99. In addition, a north-south extension west of Rosedale would connect the southern, central, and northern alignments.[7]
Another plan proposes a link between the northern east-west alignment along 7th Standard Road and Interstate 5. This new connection would be designated Highway 58. Congressional funding has been secured for this 25–35 year project; construction is scheduled to begin by 2010.[8]
Another proposal would upgrade and re-designate State Route 99 as an Interstate highway to be named Interstate 9.[9]
Culture
Many of Bakersfield's oldest and most historic restaurants are Basque,[10] including Woolgrowers, Maitia's, Noriega's, Pyrenees, Sandrini's, Benji's, Narducci's, and Italian Restaurant Luigi's.
The Kern County Museum, located on Chester Avenue just north of downtown Bakersfield, boasts an extensive collection of regional artifacts. Permanent exhibits include: "Black Gold: The Oil Experience", a hands-on modern approach at showing how oil is mined; and "The Lori Brock Children's Discovery Museum", a hands-on children's museum and a display on the influential "Bakersfield Sound" style of country music.
Events
Every Spring, Bakersfield hosts one of California's Scottish Games and Clan Gathering.[11] In the late summer, the local St. George's Greek Orthodox Church hosts an annual Greek Festival.
In March, Auto Club Famoso Raceway holds the annual March Meet nostalgia drag racing event. The event dates back to the U.S. Fuel and Gas Finals held in March 1959.
Music
Country
In the 1950s and -60s, local musicians such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Wynn Stewart helped invent a rock and roll-influenced country music style called the Bakersfield sound. Bakersfield country was notable for its simple production and straightforward, rock 'n' roll delivery. Today, Bakersfield is second only to Nashville, Tennessee, in country music fame, and Bakersfield continues to produce famous country music artists. Buck Owens' Crystal Palace is still one of the most respected concert venues, regularly showing off new recording artists, as well as established Country music stars. Buddy Allan (Buck's son), performs with The Buckaroos (Doyle Curtsinger, Jim Shaw, Terry Christoffersen and David Wulfekuehler) regularly. Country music artist Gary Allan bases his music of the Bakersfield sound.
Rock
In the 1980s Burning Image, a goth/deathrock band, originated in Bakersfield. In the early nineties, a group of friends from the middle-class suburbs of Bakersfield formed the band Korn. They quickly became innovators in the nu metal genre by employing low-tuned 7-string guitars, along with extremely low bass lines influenced by funk and hip-hop music. This sound later characterized the nu metal subgenre.
Gospel
In 1974 Southern Gospel artist The Lighthouse Boys was formed and helped pave the way for future generations of Christian Musicians to come out of Bakersfield. One of those bands was Christian Rap artist Royal Ruckus who went on to sign with Flicker Records and tour nationally with Grits and other top CCM artists in the nation.
Pete Prevost joined Sparrow Records rock band Sanctus Real in 2006 as their second guitarist.
Sports and recreation
Bakersfield is home to a large population of off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts. As of May 2001, over 18,000 OHVs were registered in Kern County.[12] On May 26, 2005, the City of Bakersfield and the State of California Parks department obtained an assignable option, using a grant from the OHV Trust funds, to purchase a prospective 11,000 acre (45 km²) site for an OHV park.[13] Ruth Coleman, Director of California State Parks, remarked, "This project responds to the needs of the Bakersfield community for increased recreation opportunities and will provide a cornerstone for the Central Valley Strategy." Several programs, including National 4-H and California Off-Road PALS, exist to train youth in proper OHV recreation.[14]
Bakersfield also hosts various amateur sporting events, including shooting, cycling, boat drag, rugby, water skiing, soccer, youth baseball, tennis, horseshoes, and volleyball competitions. Other recreational opportunities include whitewater rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, and skiing in the southern Sierras.
Venues
The city’s major civic center, the Rabobank Arena in downtown Bakersfield, is home to the Bakersfield Jam; a NBA Developmental League team, the Bakersfield Blitz; an af2 team, and the Bakersfield Condors; an ECHL AA-level hockey team. In addition, the arena hosts basketball teams of CSU Bakersfield, the California State High School Wrestling Championships, sporting, and entertainment conventions.
Other arenas include the McMurtrey Aquatic Center, which includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool that hosts high-school events, a recreational pool with two waterslides, a smaller "child safe" pool, lockers, showers, and much more. The Kern County Soccer Park is the largest soccer facility in California.
Bakersfield has been a stop for the Ben Hogan Tour and Nike Tour. It also hosts PGA Tour qualifying events and NCAA Division II regionals and tournaments. Courses include the private Seven Oaks Country Club, the Bakersfield Country Club, the Rio Bravo Country Club and the public River Lakes Golf Club.
Fox Theatre is a restored movie theatre. It hosts movies, concerts and entertainers.
Football
Football is quite possibly the most popular sport in Bakersfield (though some argue that NASCAR is more popular). The Bakersfield High School team has won more total games, sections, and state titles than any other California school and the Bakersfield College team has won four national championships. In addition, several notable NFL athletes, including Frank Gifford, Brent McClanahan, David Carr, Cory Hall, Jeremy Staat, James Wofford, Rodney Wright, Rashaan Shehee, Jeff Siemon, Brock Marion, and Joey Porter first played football at one of the seventeen Bakersfield-area high schools. The Bakersfield High School Drillers continue to attract huge crowds for every game, and the football film ''The Best of Times'' was based loosely on an old rivalry between Bakersfield High and Taft High.
Motor sports
Bakersfield is the birthplaces of NASCAR drivers Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears.
The Bakersfield Speedway is a 1/3 mile banked clay oval track in Oildale. It hosts weekly Saturday-night racing, most notably the World of Outlaws. The Bakersfield Speedway is currently attempting to become a more nationally significant track by hosting races that feature out-of-state drivers.
After the destruction of the Mesa Marin Raceway, a new track, currently known as Kern County's New Home to NASCAR,[15] was approved for construction by the Kern County Board of Supervisors in December, 2006. The track will be built west of Bakersfield at the Interstate-5/Highway 43 (Enos Lane) interchange near the Kern River, on what is now an almond orchard. Current designs indicate a 1/2 mile, high-banked tri-oval, similar to its predecessor, which will allow speeds over 140 mph. It will be outfitted with luxury suites, modern facilities, a drag strip, SAFER barriers, Nextel Cup-quality surfacing, and lighting. The stadium will have a capacity of over 5,000. Marion Collins and his family will oversee the facility while the DeStefanis, who own the land, will put up most of the capital. The track is set to open for the 2008 racing season and will host local racing events, a popular high school racing series, and the NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series events. The name of the track is being withheld in hopes of finding a corporate sponsor.
In addition, Bakersfield hosts the March Meet, a drag racing event, at the Famoso Drag Strip. The initial March Meet was started by the car club The Bakersfield Smokers, in 1959, and included the legendary Swamp Rat machine driven by "Big Daddy" Don Garlits. Garlits came from Florida to prove himself to the west coasters who invented drag racing. This event, which originally gave legitimacy to the NHRA, founded by Wally Parks in 1951, is now a nostalgic drag racing event held every March and operated by the track. In the fall of each year, Auto Club Famoso Raceway hosts the California Hot Rod Reunion, a gathering of street rodders, drag racers and auto enthusiasts.
Professional sports teams
Notable residents and former residents
Science and medicine
★ Dr. Hans Einstein, the foremost authority on Valley Fever
★ Dr. William Schmalhorst, influential pathologist
★ Dr. Michael Tivnon, a prominent orthopedic surgeon and philanthropist, specializing in sports medicine. Alongside Dr. William Baker and Dr. Romain Clerou, Tivnon has worked pro-bono, attending to athletes at Bakersfield College, California State University Bakersfield, and the Bakersfield Blitz.
Law and politics
★ Edward Fitzgerald Beale, former U.S. Ambassador and Superintendent of Indian Affairs in California and Nevada in 1852
★ Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Arts and entertainment
★ Ralph Bailey; radio talk show host, KNZR1560AM; television commentator, ABC23; newspaper contributor, The Bakersfield Californian
★ Noah Beery, actor
★ Justin Berry, public speaker and former teenage webcam pornographer
★ Frank Bidart, award-winning poet
★ Burning Image, a deathrock band
★ James Chapman, novelist and publisher
★ Brandon Cruz, punk musician and former child actor
★ Ric Drasin, professional wrestler, actor, author, and designer of Gold's Gym logo
★ Merle Haggard, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee
★ Gerald Haslam, author and poet
★ KoЯn, a Grammy Award-winning metal band
★ Michael Lockwood, guitarist and music producer. Married to Lisa Marie Presley
★ Jaz McKay, radio talk show host, AM1560, writer, and comedian
★ Buck Owens, country-western singer
★ Lawrence Tibbett, lead baritone of the New York Metropolitan Opera
Sports
★ Larry Barnes, MLB played a couple years with the Angels in '01 and '03
★ Nikki Blue, WNBA- Bakersfield Native (West HS), UCLA Grad-- Currently a guard for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.
★ Vernon Burke, NFL Played for several teams in the 60's as a split end. Attended North High School.
★ Jeff Buckey, Stanford college football great. Played for Dolphins, Browns and 49ers in the NFL and San Francisco Demons in the XFL. Attended Bakersfield High School.
★ Johnny Callison EBHS grad and Philadelphia Phillies great from the 60's
★ Devine Calloway Pro Skateboarder DC shoe Co, Hubba Wheels, Chocolate Skateboards, Crailtap.com
★ David Carr, NFL soon to be backup QB of the Carolina Panthers
★ Chris Childs, NBA guard
★ Phil Dumatrait, MLB Former first round pick and pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization
★ Frank Gifford, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
★ Cory Hall, NFL Safety for the Washington Redskins
★ Kevin Harvick, NASCAR driver. 2007 Daytona 500 winner.
★ Matthew Barrios, Weightlifter
★ Lindsey "G-PIE", Ping Pong Champion, Hong Kong 1997
★ Trevor Dunn, Professional wrestler
★ Steven Liu, Big game hunter
★ Jack Johnson, Boxing boxing's first black heavyweight champion
★ Rodney Leslie, NFL DT Current member of New Orleans Saints
★ Colby Lewis, MLB Former first round pick and pitcher in the Oakland Athletics organization
★ Brock Marion, Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys
★ William "Buckshot" May, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher who pitched his one and only major league inning on May 9, 1924
★ Casey Mears, NASCAR driver
★ Rick Mears, 4-time Indianapolis 500 winner
★ Roger Mears, Baja 1000 winner
★ Brook Miller, Former NFL and San Diego State defensive lineman now in Arena Football
★ Stephen Neal, NFL Super Bowl champion and current lineman for New England Patriots. Also two time NCAA heavy-weight wrestling champion at CSUB, former U.S. Olympic team member, and gold medalist in the World championships.
★ Hank Pfister, professional tennis player
★ Joey Porter, NFL Linebacker All-Pro outside linebacker, three time Pro Bowl selection, and Super Bowl champion in 2006 with Pittsburgh Steelers. Named most feared player in NFL by the players according to Sports Illustrated. Recently signed a five year, 32 million dollar contract with a 12 million dollar signing bonus to play for the Miami Dolphins.
★ Don Puskarich, NASCAR driver, 1975 NASCAR Grand National Division Rookie of the Year.
★ Jerry Quarry, heavyweight boxer
★ Dennis Ralston, Professional tennis player
★ Rocky Rasley, former NFL guard
★ Dave Rayder MLB Catcher who played in the '70
★ Dario Resta, Italian racecar driver, Indy 500 Winner
★ Bruce Sarver, NHRA champion
★ L.J. Shelton, NFL Starting lineman for the Cleveleand Browns and son of former NBA'er Lonnie Shelton
★ Lonnie Shelton, NBA Won a NBA championship and was an all-star for the Seattle SuperSonics
★ Jeff Siemon, NFL 4-time Pro Bowl linebacker with the Minnesota Vikings, 1972-83. Played college football at Stanford. Inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, 2006.
★ Jeremy Staat, NFL Former Pittsburgh Steeler defensive lineman. Also, teammate and close friend of Pat Tillman at Arizona State. Joined the Marines in his honor and was deployed to Iraq 3/21/07.
★ Robert Swift, NBA center for Seattle SuperSonics
★ Todd Walker, MLB currently with the Oakland Athletics
★ Jake Woods, MLB Pitcher for the Seattle Mariners
★ Gabe Woodward, Olympian USA Olympic Swim Team, Bronze Medalist 400m Freestyle Relay, 4 time All American at USC
★ Louis Wright Former Bakersfield College player who was on the NFL 1970's all-decade team as a defensive back
★ Rodney Wright, NFL Former WR for Buffalo Bills
References to Bakersfield
Literature
★ ''The Grapes of Wrath'' by John Steinbeck
★ ''The Onion Field'' by Joseph Wambaugh
★ ''On The Road'' by Jack Kerouac
★ ''Daughter! I Forbid Your Recurring Dream!''[17] by James Chapman
★ ''The Hookmen''
★ ''Where the Heart Is''
★ ''Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverley Clearly
★ ''(Twisted) by Thomas Kellerman
★ ''Daddy by Danielle Steele
Film and television
''Many films and television shows are filmed in and around Bakersfield. This list represents a selection of those which feature specific references to the city.''
★ "Streets Of Bakersfield" a song by Buck Owens made in and about Bakersfield.
★ ''Catscratch, which is a cartoon on Nickelodeon, the cats race in a race called "the Bakersfield 500"
★ ''Bakersfield P.D.'' is a sitcom about Bakersfield police officers.
★ ''The Running Man'' opens with the Bakersfield Food Riots in which the main character, Ben Richards, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger the current Governor of California, is framed as "The Butcher of Bakersfield."
★ ''Fearless'' Starring Jeff Bridges opens with the aftermath of a plane crash in a cornfield outside Bakersfield and also features the now-defunct Golden Empire Ambulance service.
★ In two episodes of the TV series ''Clueless'', "Bakersfield Blues" and "Back From Bakersfield", the main character and her father moved to Bakersfield.
★ ''The Simpsons'' episode "Take My Wife, Sleaze" features Hell’s Satans, a fictional biker gang from Bakersfield.
★ In ''Every Which Way But Loose'', Clint Eastwood's character sneaks his precocious pet orangutang Clyde into the fictional Bakersfield Zoo to relieve carnal tensions. Several scenes were shot in Bakersfield, some including views of the famous Bakersfield sign that formerly spanned Union Avenue just south of California Avenue.
★ In ''The Cell'', the equipment used by the serial killer has a plate stamped "Made in Bakersfield."
★ In Day 2 of 24, George Mason plans to escape the blast radius of an atomic bomb set to go off in Los Angeles by going to Bakersfield.
★ In the film Castaway, starring Tom Hanks, the day is saved thanks to an outhouse that reads "Bakersfield" across the side.
★ In the film View From The Top, Gweneth Paltrow mentions the routes of the flights for the airline she is applying to and at her job interview she claims that they stop once a week to Bakersfield.
★ In the film Misery, Kathy Bates's character Annie Wilkes mentions growing up in Bakersfield.
★ In the film Sunset Blvd, Gloria Swanson's character Norma Desmond mentions she has oil in Bakersfield.
★ In the film , Controller Jacobs (Stephen Stucker) makes reference to places where he traveled to, and says "Then we went to Bakersfield, then we went to Fresno, but no one goes to Fresno anymore."
★ The 1986 Robin Williams/Kurt Russell film ''The Best of Times'' re-matches the heroes' hometown high school football team from the nearby small town of Taft against the far superior Bakersfield High football team, 20 years after they lost the original game. The Bakersfield team (and the city in general) is depicted as the ironic "big city" antagonist in this film.
★ In the August 17, 2007 episode of Last Comic Standing, comedian Doug Benson made a religious reference to Bakersfield as being "hell" in his head-to-head comedic performance.
★ In the show called "South of Nowhere" the character Carmen talks about living in fresno, and then bakersfield, but bakersfield being the worse.
★ In Friends Chandler and Monica went to Las Vegas to tell Chandler's father about their marriage, Bakersfield is mentioned in a joke.
★ In the 1978 Rolling Stones song "Far Away Eyes" Mick Jagger narrates a humorous Country & Western story that begins "I was driving home early Sunday morning through Bakersfield, listening to gospel music on the colored radio station..."
Video games
★ In the Dreamcast and PS2 game ''Headhunter'', the city is fictionalized as "Quakersfield."
★ In the CRPG ''Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game'', the ruins of Bakersfield, called Necropolis, are inhabited by "ghouls", human beings who have been horribly mutated by radiation.
Sister cities
Bakersfield has five sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):[18]
★ Bucheon, South Korea
★ Minsk, Belarus
★ Wakayama, Japan
★ Cixi, China
★ Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
References
1. Historical Population Data for California
2. Southern California Earthquake Data Center - Kern County Earthquake (1952)
3. People at Risk In 25 Most Ozone-Polluted Cities American Lung Association. Accessed January 7 2007.
4. People at Risk In 25 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-Term Particle Pollution American Lung Association. Accessed January 7 2007.
5. People at Risk In 25 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Year-Round Particle Pollution American Lung Association. Accessed January 7 2007.
6. [4]
7. [5]
8. [6][7]
9. [8]
10. Bakersfield Basque Symposium
11. http://www.kernscot.com
12. http://www.kohva.com/
13. http://parks.ca.gov/pages/712/files/052605.pdf
14. [9]
15. [10]
16. [11]
17. ''Daughter! I Forbid Your Recurring Dream!''
18. Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI)
External links
Government
★ City of Bakersfield Official Website
★ Convention & Visitors Bureau
★ Kern County Voter Registration
★ Used Motor Cycle Recycling Centers
★ Kern County Health Department
★ Kern County Veterans Service Department
Online media
★ Bakersfield Real Estate Market News
★ Real Estate Market Opinion
★ New To Bakersfield- relocation site
★ Bakersfield News
★ Bakersfield on Craig's List
★ Bakersfield News and Opinion
History
★ Bakersfield's Lost Treasures Interactive Map
★ Local History section on NewToBakersfield.com
★ Kern County Museum
★ Local Landmarks section on NewToBakersfield.com
★ Bakersfield's Historic Downtown Interactive Map
Map links
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