What a shocker of a morning—literally! Bakersfield woke up to rain, thunder, and a few flashes of lightning that had most of us reaching for our phones to confirm it wasn’t special effects. Between the rumble of the skies and the surprise puddles in the parking lot, it felt more like a Rotary meeting in Seattle than sunny Kern County. But as always, our club weathered the storm—coffee in hand and smiles ready.
Thank you (me) to today’s scribe (me) Teresa Waller. AKA your Beacon Editor. PS if you would like to volunteer to be our Scribe for a meeting, please let me know!
A warm (and slightly damp) thank-you to our dedicated crew who kept the morning rolling despite the thunderous competition outside. Darin Blunt and Karen Bonanno welcomed everyone with smiles bright enough to rival the lightning. Denise Haynes grounded us with a thoughtful invocation, Jacque Alexander rallied us around the flag with perfect timing, and Carol Smith once again proved that patriotism never goes out of style—selecting “You’re a Grand Ole Flag” for the second week in a row. We’re starting to suspect she’s campaigning for a theme month.
RECOGNITION:
Queen Jackie recently returned to her rightful throne and took a moment to graciously thank Karen Bonanno for holding down the gavel while she was off enjoying some royal R&R. We also had a birthday to celebrate—though the guest of honor, Myrna Arias, was nowhere to be found. Don’t worry, Myrna, the singing has been deferred, not canceled… consider it a rain check! (are you detecting a weather theme in this Beacon?)
HAPPY SPOTS & FINES:
Happy Spots and Fines were as entertaining as ever!
Ron Nelms shared tales from his Long Beach getaway to the Queen Mary and brought back tribute gifts for Queen Jackie—most notably a regal ball cap proudly labeled “QUEEN,” which fit her title perfectly and spared him from a royal fine.
David Perkins was $20 happy to have participated in the recent Honor Flight, a truly honorable experience.
Meanwhile, Queen Jackie proved no one is above the law—fining herself $50 for her shiny new red Jeep that looks suspiciously identical to the old one. (New members, take note: a new car equals a guaranteed fine—it’s one of those BBRC traditions you can bank on.)
And when Jackie asked about the pre-meeting song, Ken Quarnberg nailed it—Kenny Chesney’s “I Go Back”—earning himself the coveted title of Fine-Free-for-a-Month, a luxury few Rotarians enjoy for long!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Two big happenings on the BBRC horizon! First, Queen Jackie is rolling out the barrels for Oktoberfest at her ranch this Friday night—RSVPs are appreciated, but spontaneous arrivals with a thirst for bratwurst and beer are equally welcome.
Then, once the steins are empty and the lederhosen are hung up, we’ll turn our energy to something equally rewarding: shopping for shoes for the . Join us at WSS Shoes on Brundage Avenue on October 29th—because no child should have to go barefoot when Rotarians can walk the walk… in style!
TODAY’S SPEAKER:
This week’s speaker, Assemblyman Stan Ellis, made our coffee seem weak in comparison to the jolt of thought he delivered. With a résumé spanning farming, business, mathematics, and—just for good measure—quantum physics, he proved that agriculture and advanced computing can indeed coexist in one brilliant mind. He painted an exciting picture of the future where quantum computers might diagnose diseases and design cancer treatments faster than we can say, “Rotary breakfast burrito.”
Ellis captivated the room with talk of quantum networking—where photons get “entangled” and hacking becomes nearly impossible. (Take note, cybercriminals—your days of guessing passwords that end in “123!” are numbered.) But for all the marvels of technology, Ellis reminded us that progress falters when political priorities stray from meaningful results. In his words, integrity, innovation, and a little math wouldn’t hurt Sacramento.
The Assemblyman didn’t hold back on local issues either. He tackled Kern County’s miscast image as a pollution culprit, clarifying the science behind air quality data. He spoke passionately about overregulation in agriculture and oil, arguing that California’s businesses are being squeezed harder than a grape in a wine press. His call to action: elect leaders who understand business, invest in innovation, and help Kern County keep its brightest minds from drifting to Silicon Valley or beyond.
Ellis closed with a fascinating—and slightly ominous—look at global competition in quantum tech and AI. China’s rapid investments, he warned, highlight the urgent need for American innovation, cybersecurity, and, yes, a little common sense. Whether discussing quantum computing or tumbleweed-based whiskey, Ellis left us energized, a bit humbled, and wondering if our next Rotary fundraiser should include a quantum raffle just to keep up.
NEW MEMBER INDUCTION:
A true Rotary spectacle unfolded this morning as we welcomed our newest member,Brenna Layne, Finance Director at Vital Farms. But this wasn’t your typical induction ceremony—oh no. Our ever-enthusiastic Membership Chair, Temo Lopez, went full medieval on us. Clad in a shiny knight’s helmet that looked borrowed from the set of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, he triumphantly proclaimed, “Hear ye, hear ye!” before bestowing membership upon Lady
Brenna of Vital Farms.
The room erupted in laughter as Temo peppered his announcement with “ye” and “thy,” clearly putting the “fun” in “fundamental Rotary traditions.” Brenna took it all in stride, smiling through the fanfare as she officially joined the ranks of the BBRC kingdom. Welcome, Brenna — may your Rotary journey be filled with valor, service, and perhaps a few less helmets.
WRAPPING UP:
We wrapped up the morning with our ever-popular 50/50 opportunity drawing—finally breaking Neil Walker’s two-week winning streak! Of course, that might have something to do with Neil not being in attendance… proof once again that you can’t win if you’re not there. This week’s lucky winner was Ken Quarnberg, who walked away $35 richer and one big grin happier. Congratulations, Ken—spend it wisely, or at least spend it before next week’s drawing!
Please join us next week when our speaker will be the CEO of Kern Medical Scott Thygerson.
See you next week—same time, same breakfast, hopefully less lightning!
rolling despite the thunderous competition outside. Darin Blunt and Karen Bonanno welcomed everyone with smiles bright enough to rival the lightning. Denise Haynes grounded us with a thoughtful invocation, Jacque Alexander rallied us around the flag with perfect timing, and Carol Smith once again proved that patriotism never goes out of style—selecting “You’re a Grand Ole Flag” for the second week in a row. We’re starting to suspect she’s campaigning for a theme month.
Queen Jackie recently returned to her rightful throne and took a moment to graciously thank Karen Bonanno for holding down the gavel while she was off enjoying some royal R&R. We also had a birthday to celebrate—though the guest of honor, Myrna Arias, was nowhere to be found. Don’t worry, Myrna, the singing has been deferred, not canceled… consider it a rain check! (are you detecting a weather theme in this Beacon?)
Ron Nelms shared tales from his Long Beach getaway to the Queen Mary and brought back tribute gifts for Queen Jackie—most notably a regal ball cap proudly labeled “QUEEN,” which fit her title perfectly and spared him from a royal fine.
barrels for Oktoberfest at her ranch this Friday night—RSVPs are appreciated, but spontaneous arrivals with a thirst for bratwurst and beer are equally welcome.
. Join us at WSS Shoes on Brundage Avenue on October 29th—because no child should have to go barefoot when Rotarians can walk the walk… in style!
comparison to the jolt of thought he delivered. With a résumé spanning farming, business, mathematics, and—just for good measure—quantum physics, he proved that agriculture and advanced computing can indeed coexist in one brilliant mind. He painted an exciting picture of the future where quantum computers might diagnose diseases and design cancer treatments faster than we can say, “Rotary breakfast burrito.”
Brenna Layne, Finance Director at Vital Farms. But this wasn’t your typical induction ceremony—oh no. Our ever-enthusiastic Membership Chair, Temo Lopez, went full medieval on us. Clad in a shiny knight’s helmet that looked borrowed from the set of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, he triumphantly proclaimed, “Hear ye, hear ye!” before bestowing membership upon Lady 
finally breaking Neil Walker’s two-week winning streak! Of course, that might have something to do with Neil not being in attendance… proof once again that you can’t win if you’re not there. This week’s lucky winner was Ken Quarnberg, who walked away $35 richer and one big grin happier. Congratulations, Ken—spend it wisely, or at least spend it before next week’s drawing!