Oh, how I wish I could multitask! Being Mistress of Zoom AND taking notes for The Beacon proved too tough for me before that second cup of coffee. Hopefully, I scribbled well enough that you can get the gist of the meeting.We were treated to this year’s second President for the Day, Ken Quarnberg. He looked super comfortable at the podium; don’t you think?! He invited Dr. Joe Nunez to recite his beautiful invocation and Andrew Ozanich to lead us in the flag salute. Denise Haynes, who has truly become our resident songstress, led us in singing “My Country Tis of Thee.”
Before Ken turned the mic over for our program, he had to call up Bill Black who was totally twinning with a near-identical plaid shirt. Next time share the dress code memo, gentlemen.
Cheryl Scott had the privilege of introducing our speaker for the day: Christian Clegg, Manager for the City of Bakersfield. You really have to feel for a guy who comes to a new city to replace a 27-year veteran (Alan Tandy) then mere weeks later, COVID-19 hits!
First thing, he commented that other local Rotary Clubs don’t sing (Take that, Bakersfield East!)
Christian came to Bakersfield by way of Stockton where he served as the deputy city manager and helped them get back on their feet after bankruptcy. He oversees the day-to-day operations of our fair city. While gears have certainly been shifted due to the pandemic, he is happy to report that while other cities face a 10-12% reduction in services, Bakersfield has the resources to implement NEW projects.Christian and the city are focusing efforts on the following areas that concern Bakersfield residents the most: Public Safety, Homelessness, Amenities, and Economic Development.
Public Safety – Christian helped to hire the city’s new police chief, Greg Terry (who paid us a visit recently). He also mentioned that the city would soon be forming a Community Engagement Unit and another group focusing on Quality Assurance.
Homelessness – The city is going the extra yard to address this issue. Additional beds have been added to existing shelters and a new center has been built.
Amenities – The city is working hard to clean up areas of the city, including parks and other amenities. [As an aside, if you want to see the projects the city undertakes in a given week, take a look at the City Manager’s Weekly Memo).
Economic Development – There has been no economic development function since 2012, but it is now a huge priority. Due to current circumstances, the city is focusing on economic recovery.
Mostly, Christian made me feel proud to be a Bakersfieldian (Bakersfieldite? Bakersfielder? Why do I not know this?) Bakersfield is no longer a suburban local, but a growing metropolitan area. I am very proud to call Bakersfield HOME!
Congratulations to Cheryl Rydia!
Lucky Ken was able to induct his first member into BBRC. (Thanks for sharing, Dave!) Cheryl Rydia joined us as our newest member…the second for the year. Cheryl comes to us under the classification of Publicity & Public Relations and was sponsored by Marlene Heise. Welcome Cheryl! And how sweet that your mother, Mary, was present for your induction.
Lots of dates to celebrate:
Birthdays – MJ Pasek Aug. 29; Teresa Ramos Alvarez Aug 31
Wedding Anniversaries (in years) – Greg & Janis Desme Aug 27 (37); Dave & Melody Spalinger Aug 29 (33); Tom & Tina Burke Aug 30 (34)
Club Anniversaries (in years) – Michael Turnipseed (15); Bill Black (14); Athena Collup (4); Bree Goodmon (3); Sally Selby (1)
Announcements
President Dave announced with great sadness that this year’s Wine Place and Show has been cancelled. Tickets will be refunded, and sponsorships will either be refunded or redirected. Other fundraising activities to support our Avenues of Service projects during President-Elect (and Foundation President) Jeff Haynes’ year will be considered and shared with BBRC soon.
Community Service Director Kathy Berry is asking for ideas for community service that we can actually be carried out during the pandemic. Please email her with any ideas (andersenlee56@yahoo.com)
Pledges for 2020-2021 are being accepted now! See or contact Jeff Haynes (jhaynesdc@sbcglobal.net) or Mindy Wilmot (mindy_wilmot@att.net) to be invoiced or to pay (via check or credit card).
Who knows the week’s clue from The Beacon? Ken first went to Bree Goodmon but felt that she had been picked on enough in previous weeks. Ken then turned to MJ Pasek but couldn’t fine the birthday girl when she didn’t know. John Guerard saved with the day with knowing that the clue was $100 (the price of Wine Place and Show tickets).
Whatever goodwill Ken was feeling toward levying fines was short-lived when we headed to Happy Spots. Pat Thompson was $20 happy with the recent (and COVID-delayed) marriage of his son. Ken, with some socially distanced arm twisting, got it raised to $30. Nicely done, Sir! Jeff Haynes was $10 happy that his daughter and baby granddaughter are here for a visit.
And the winner of our mask challenge was, again, Marilee Reagor who seems to have an endless supply of masks. The theme for next week is camouflage. Can anyone dethrone Marilee?
Finally, since I have the platform, I wanted to address those of you joining meetings via Zoom. First of all, we are so glad that you can join us virtually. We are using Zoom in a way that it is really not intended, and we know we have some challenges to overcome. (Being outside where we cannot control light and ambient noise is a major hurdle). After every meeting, we assess and make changes to increase your viewing experience. If you have suggestions, we’re open to them. Please know that, under the current conditions, we are doing the best we can. We appreciate your patience while we figure it all out. (from the web administrator – Mindy you are doing a GREAT job! Thank you for making it possible to Zoom!)