Recalling the massive quakes that changed the face of Bakersfield

Here's a nice bit of video storytelling from The Californian's Louis Amestoy that's part of a two-day Californian series marking the 60th anniversary of the massive earthquakes that forever changed Bakersfield and Tehachapi. 

I'm sharing the video here to highlight some of the increasing video we're doing, but recommend you read Day 1 of reporter Steven Mayer's series. 

I've always thought Bakersfield had a cool downtown before the quakes hit in 1952. Sadly, the interesting architecture damaged in the quake was replaced by visual blight, saddling the city with a lack of character at its core.

The city's downtown is undergoing a nice transformation as nice restaurants, galleries and botiques spread downtown but watching this video makes you wonder what coulda been. 

'The Great Quake of 1952' trailer

Here's the trailer The Bakersfield Californian's Louis Amestoy created to promote Steven Mayer's upcoming package on the 1952 earthquakes that inflicted major damage on Tehachapi and Bakersfield. 

The package looking back to the mayhem 60 years ago will publish in The Californian on July 21, and we'll follow up quickly with e-book versions containing video and photo galleries.

Basque culture is focus of second Californian e-book

The Bakersfield Californian has released its second e-book, Louis Amestoy's "Being Basque in Bakersfield." 

The book shares a newcomer's observations about connecting with Bakersfield's large and vibrant Basque community. Amestoy, The Californian's digital convergence manager, is of Basque heritage but had little contact with the culture until moving to Bakersfield in January.

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