Newsroom

BY EMA SASIC Even though Greg and Mary Bynum attended Bakersfield College in the late 1960s, they don’t think they’re much different from students enrolled today. Both were the first to attend college in their families and came from low- to middle-class households where their parents couldn’t afford to send them to an expensive school.…

Photo Credit: Cal State Bakersfield BY CHRISTINE BEDELL Cal State Bakersfield Greg Bynum is the son of Oklahomans who came to Kern County seeking a better life and not only wanted, but expected, their two boys to get the education they never did. He went on to do just that, going from North High to…

Photo Credit: Alex Horvath / The Californian For Brazilian artist Arlin Graff, known for his large-scale animal murals, bigger is always better. So when he arrived earlier this month to begin work on a piece on the south-facing wall between The BLVD and Temblor Brewing Co., he knew it would be a good one. “He…

David Bynum knows what people say about Bakersfield — “There’s nothing to do here!” — so he’s doing what he can to address that. Bynum is the CEO of The BLVD, a new entertainment spot set to open on Buck Owens Boulevard next month. The 45,000-square-foot space will have a restaurant serving a diverse array…

It is early. There’s still only a pale promise of morning in the star-lit sky. But Mike Lahti is already at work inside a converted warehouse space on Buck Owens Boulevard. Thick green rubber gloves peek from the pocket of his shorts as he darts around the brew pad, an eclectic mix of rock and…

The day after formation of Kern Citizens for Energy was announced, a news writer wondered why anybody not invested in the oil or gas industry would want to become involved in the issue. As a longtime resident of Kern County and a business owner, I can answer the reporter’s question with one of my own:…

BAKERSFIELD, CA — After a tough few years, business space has become a prized commodity in and around Bakersfield, with demand for some property exceeding pre-recession levels. Led by warehouse work and other industrial activity, the area’s commercial real estate market is posting across-the-board improvement in vacancy rates. Some developers have responded by building, or…

BAKERSFIELD, CA — Getting postseason home games override the cost of hosting Women’s Basketball Invitational games. At least that’s the theory. Cal State Bakersfield gets its second straight home game of the 2011 WBI when it hosts South Dakota today at 6 p.m. in the Icardo Center. The WBI charges home teams $10,000 for each…

BAKERSFIELD, CA — It’s time for Bakersfield to speak up on high-speed rail — but we can’t let the recent City Council meeting be the last word. The meeting proved what anyone who knows Bakersfield already understands — our pride in our history and our institutions is real. We’re not a community that tosses things…