Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club

Weekly Beacon — August 26, 2026

Kern County Employer’s Training Resource

Carol introduced Brandon Evans, Chief Workforce Development Officer for Kern County Employer’s Training Resource (ETR).

ETR supports local businesses with:

Employee recruitment
Work experience programs
On‑the‑job training
Current employee training and promotion pathways
Assistance with job postings and recruitment fairs
Flyer creation and event facilitation

Financial Incentives

Staffing Agency Model: ETR pays 100% of training for up to 450 hours.
On‑the‑Job Training: After step 1, ETR reimburses 50% of wages for up to 480 hours (full‑time, 32+ hrs/week).
Incumbent Worker Training: Reimbursement up to 90% of training costs for existing employees—ideal for introducing new programs or technology.
Upgrade/Upskill Training: Reimbursement of 50% of wages for 320 hours to support promotions.

They also operate the Job Hub off Olive Drive—open Tuesdays at 9 AM—where job seekers find opportunities not posted on Indeed.

More info: linktree.com/kerncounty-etr

Meeting Highlights

Greeters: Jeff Schwartz & Donna Schwartz (with Jeff filling in for Maya)

Invocation: Jeff Schwartz

Flag Salute: Cheryl Scott

Song: My Country ’Tis of Thee, led by Carol

Scribe: Kristine Hertin

Family of Rotary

Club Anniversaries

Michael Turnipseed — 31 years
Sally Selby — 7 years
Bill Black — 20 years

Wedding Anniversaries

David Spalinger (absent) — 33 years
Art Esparza — 33 years (celebrating with dinner this weekend)

Birthdays

Mary Jo (absent)

Happy Spots

Carol promoted the Bakersfield Community Concert Association. First concert is in September — $90 for 5 concerts, open seating. She was $10 happy to highlight a great local arts benefit.
Sally Selby returned from Seattle with chocolates and was immediately labeled an “enabler” and “accomplice.” She tossed $20 into the pot.
Char brought in a very cool Taft Rotary flag and was $20 happy to share it.
Marti Sanders is training for the 2027 New York City Marathon and fundraising through a charity slot supporting children’s athletics. She has 49 days left to reach her goal—let’s help Marti Sanders get there and cheer her on as she prepares to run 26.2 miles in a single day.

Recognitions & Fines

Fun Rotary fact: Dolly Parton is an honorary Rotarian and received a Paul Harris Fellow in 2010 for her work on the Imagination Library.

Fines

Carol’s cell phone went off during the program — $10.
Ron discouraged attendance after assuming the club was dark because the website said so — $10.
Tony Bonanno took responsibility for the website error and covered the $10. Rotary teamwork at its finest.

Club Service & Socials

August social was held August 27, 5:30–8:30 PM at Firehouse on White Lane.

Community Service

Upcoming Events

September 10 at 10 AM — Bakersfield Fire Department on Buena Vista: placing flags.
September 12 at 4 PM — removing flags.
October — Shoe shopping for Seal (date TBD).

Karen Bonanno shared that the Little Library Project raised $640 and was a success. She is working on a second library and is still accepting books geared toward 6th–8th grade readers.

Foundation, Membership & Fundraising

Thousand Flags Financials

Total Income: $81,513
Total Expenses: $32,683
Net: $48,829.78

Sponsorships brought in about $61,000. Huge shout‑out to Pete Leveroni for his hard work.

50/50 Drawing

Winner: Karen Bonanno