Personalities Archives - Page 2 of 6

“Drop out” from race for seat on a powerful Kern water board appears poised to win

November 11, 2022

• by Lois Henry

If challenger Eric Averett maintains his lead over incumbent Phil Cerro for a seat on the powerful Kern County Water Agency board, it may prove just how effective a campaign statement can be. Averett said he tried to withdraw his name from the ballot after belatedly learning Cerro would run. But he missed the deadline…

Change is coming to the Westlands Water District board. What will it mean for the future of the sprawling district and its controversial general manager?

October 27, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The makeup of the Westlands Water District board will change this election – shifting power to a coalition of growers with a list of new actions, at the top of which appears to be ousting longtime General Manager Tom Birmingham. “There needs to be a change of leadership, that’s a foundational issue,” said Sarah Woolf,…

Personalities

Through dry years and wet – and multiple lawsuits – retiring Bakersfield City water leader met challenges cheerfully

September 16, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Art Chianello, who has led Bakersfield’s Water Resources Department through two of the state’s worst droughts and one of its wettest years on record, is retiring at the end of September. Most municipal water departments are fairly quiet operations. As long as water comes out of taps, not many people pay attention. But the Bakersfield…

Personalities

Challenger for seat on powerful Kern water board “withdraws,” at least in spirit

September 12, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Would-be challenger Eric Averett said he is “withdrawing” from the race for a seat on the powerful Kern County Water Agency board of directors. His name will still appear on the ballot, however. Averett said he couldn’t get his name off the ballot as the deadline to do so had already passed when he decided…

Groundwater • Personalities

Fallout from Kings County water war continues as state mulls groundwater plan

August 29, 2022

• by Lois Henry

There’s no word, yet, of state intervention in the ongoing water war between two of Kings County’s largest growers – John Vidovich and the J.G. Boswell Company – but there has been fallout. Kimberly Brown, a board member of the Southwest Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency, resigned August 10 in protest of last-minute language added to…

Personalities • Policy

Not so new “newcomer” vies for seat on powerful Kern water board

August 19, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The usually sleepy race for the Kern County Water Agency board of directors perked up this month after a challenger filed papers to run for the Division 4 seat. Division 4 Incumbent Director Philip Cerro will face challenger Eric Averett in the November 8 election. Cerro, a longtime area farmer, has served on the board…

Personalities • SGMA

Latest blow in Boswell-Vidovich water war could bring state control over region’s groundwater

July 25, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The latest blow in an ongoing water war between two Kings County agricultural titans may put control of the entire region’s groundwater into state hands. The J.G. Boswell Farming Company and Sandridge Partners, controlled by John Vidovich, have been scuffling over water in court, on ditch banks and even in the air with accusations on…

Personalities

Services for Chuck Williams to be held June 2 in Bakersfield

June 1, 2022

• by Lois Henry

Obituary originally published in The Bakersfield Californian, June 1, 2022. CHARLES R. H. WILLIAMS 1928 – 2022 Charles Williams (Chuck) peacefully passed away on May 6, 2022, at the age of 93, at his home in SW Bakersfield. He lived a long and full life. He was born on December 23, 1928, in Istanbul (then…

Personalities • SGMA

Accusations continue to fly between two valley ag titans in water feud

May 18, 2022

• by Lois Henry

The ongoing water feud between two of Kings County’s biggest farming entities recently spilled into Kern County and up to Sacramento with allegations on both sides of misuse of water and other public resources. In a May 12 letter, the Southwest Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency complains that the J.G. Boswell Company has been pumping and…

Personalities • Rivers

Chuck Williams, longest-serving Kern River Watermaster, dies at 93

May 6, 2022

• by Lois Henry, SJV Water

Chuck Williams, the longest serving “interim, acting” Kern River Watermaster, died Friday. He was 93. Attorney Scott Kuney, who worked with Williams at North Kern Water Storage District, remembered Williams as a “man of great faith, integrity and a consensus maker. “And he was fun,” Kuney said Friday. “He had a thousand stories.” Kuney recalled…

NEWS

“Drop out” from race for seat on a powerful Kern water board appears poised to win

Change is coming to the Westlands Water District board. What will it mean for the future of the sprawling district and its controversial general manager?

Through dry years and wet – and multiple lawsuits – retiring Bakersfield City water leader met challenges cheerfully

Challenger for seat on powerful Kern water board “withdraws,” at least in spirit

Fallout from Kings County water war continues as state mulls groundwater plan

Not so new “newcomer” vies for seat on powerful Kern water board

Latest blow in Boswell-Vidovich water war could bring state control over region’s groundwater

Services for Chuck Williams to be held June 2 in Bakersfield

Accusations continue to fly between two valley ag titans in water feud

Chuck Williams, longest-serving Kern River Watermaster, dies at 93

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