Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club gathered once again at Seven Oaks Country Club for our March 4, 2026 meeting, where the conversation was lively and the energy high for an early morning. Our greeters, Myah Salinas and Ken Quarnberg, welcomed everyone with big smiles and warm hellos. Jennifer Henry admirably filled in for Marti Sanders to lead the flag salute, and Carol Smith treated us to a special Breakfast Rotary song that set a fun tone for the rest of the meeting.

We were delighted to welcome several guests. Karen Bonanno brought guest Mark Parham from Core Strategy Group, whom she met through a networking group and decided to upgrade to Rotary-level company. Cheryl Scott brought her fiancé, explaining she simply couldn’t stand to be away from him any longer than absolutely necessary. The collective “awws” and “ohhs” from the room confirmed that romance is alive and well at Breakfast Rotary.

 

                

 

 

 

Our speaker this week was Bakersfield City Manager Christian Clegg, who gave us a fast-paced tour of what it takes to run California’s ninth-largest city while still trying to keep a small-town feel. Bakersfield has exploded in size over the past couple of decades, and Christian talked about the challenge of bringing “big-city” solutions to issues like growth, housing, and public safety without losing the sense of community that makes this area special.

He shared how the city is working to diversify the economy beyond its traditional strengths in agriculture and energy by courting advanced manufacturing, food processing, and tech and R&D jobs, with an emphasis on processing more of our own local products right here at home. At the same time, the city is playing catch-up on roads, parks, and utilities and has already completed dozens of park projects while pushing for more housing options across the spectrum—from single-family homes to apartments and “missing middle” types of housing.​

A big portion of Christian’s talk focused on homelessness, mental health, and public safety, and how all three are intertwined. He described new outreach efforts, shelter and navigation center investments, and additional treatment beds coming online through recent grant funding, while also being candid about the limits the city faces around mental-health resources and the criminal justice system.​

Christian closed by stressing that none of this work happens in a vacuum; it depends on strong partnerships with the county, nonprofits, and community groups—Rotary very much included. His transparency, data, and clear sense of direction gave members a better understanding of both the progress being made and the hard work still ahead for Bakersfield

 

We celebrated Shaul Kelly’s 32 years of BBRC Rotary Service this month.  And Queen Jackie came with the receipts.  She dug deep in the BBRC photo archives to prove it.

 

                         

 

 Queen Jackie kicked off Happy Spots by calling on David Perkins, who cheerfully confessed that he had single-handedly gone to Mexico and personally evicted the cartel so he could enjoy a little R&R. He returned with a special gift for Her Majesty: a shot glass on a string so the Queen will never again misplace her emergency provisions.

Thanks to David’s “security work,” Sandra Parnell also managed a quick cruise to Mexico and brought back the obligatory peace offering for the Queen. As everyone in the room knows, these tribute gifts never actually keep you out of trouble—Queen Jackie will graciously accept your token and still fine you with a smile.

Next up was Ron Nelms who was happy to share that Troy Fringer forced him to buy a new Expedition. Which caused Dave Spalinger, to jump up and admitted to a “small” purchase of his own: a Ram 2500 Longhorn. The Queen’s calculator sprang into action, and she promptly hit him with a fine of $20 per wheel, spare included. That truck may be heavy-duty, but the fine was, too.

Not to be outdone, Teresa Waller bravely self-reported her own misdeeds, fining herself $25 per infraction for forgetting to recognize our weekly scribes—twice. That little lapse in gratitude cost her $50, and Queen Jackie didn’t even have to lift her gavel.

By this point, the Queen was on a revenue roll. She had every intention of fining Tony Castiglione in person after learning he helped raise an impressive $30,000 for the Bakersfield Police Department’s Citizen Volunteer Unit. Tony made the tactical error of slipping out early, so Her Majesty simply fined him $30 in absentia. In this kingdom, you can run, but you cannot hide from the Queen’s fines.

 

 

Our next club social will be Thursday, March 12 at Rosemary’s Family Creamery. What goes better together than Rotarians and ice cream? Thank you to everyone who has already RSVP’d. If you haven’t yet and plan to attend, please respond to the email invitation from Jennifer Henry.

Erick Bautista is collecting nominations for the Above and Beyond Award. If you know someone in our community who consistently goes the extra mile and deserves recognition, please submit the nomination form Erick emailed to you. Denise Haynes is still recruiting volunteers for Kern Yes—a great opportunity to work alongside some of the best youth in Kern County and show them Rotary in action.

Looking ahead, we’ll be holding a Fireside Chat on March 26 at Queen Jackie’s ranch. This is a relaxed, small-group setting where you can take a deeper dive into Rotary, learn more about our club, and ask all your Rotary questions.

Congratulations to our newest Rotarian, Brooke Baird, who not only joined the club but also walked away with the morning 50/50 drawing and a tidy pot of $65. Next week, our speaker will be Kern County Fire Chief Aaron Duncan.

 

                    

 

See you next Wednesday at 6:45 a.m.!