Rotary Club of Ojai

For Starters…

Our Co-President and Chief, Bret Bradigan engaged in the tintinnabulation of the bell, bringing the room full of enthusiasts and guests to order.

Renee Halbrook ably led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Inspirational Moment

Wendy Barker wanted us to embrace and experience art. She quoted Stella Adler:

Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.

Rotarian Visitors and Guests

We welcomed Marcel Rosas from Summit School, Emily Ayala, daughter of Tony Thacher, and our speaker, Jordan Kear. Apologies if I missed anyone.

Thank-Yous

Many thanks to our meeting crew that makes these meetings entertaining and impactful.

Greeter: Deirdre Daly

Pledge of Allegiance: Renee Halbrook

Inspirational Moment: Wendy Barker

Roving Mic: Fern Baryshman

Fining: Liz Sampson

Reporter, The Reminder Newsletter: Carl Gross

Editor, The Reminder Newsletter: Randy Roth

Treasurer: Dave Brubaker

Food Service (yum): Chef Ray-805 Catering

Great People in History-Bret Bradigan

Bret Bradigan, in his Ken Burnsenesque presentation, acquainted us with luminary, George Abbott. Mr. Abbott was born in Forestville, New York, near where Bret grew up.

George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887 – January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director, and producer, whose career spanned eight decades.^[He received numerous honors, including six Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1982,^[2][3][4] the National Medal of Arts in 1990,^[5] and was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

Starting as an actor, he later became known for producing numerous Broadway productions, such as Pal Joey (1940), On the Town (1944), Call Me Madam (1950), Wonderful Town (1953), The Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955, and again in 1994), New Girl in Town (1957), Once Upon a Mattress (1959), Fiorello! (book, 1959), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), and Broadway (1987).

Abbott also acted in numerous films in the 1920s and 1930s. He received an Academy Award for Best Writing nomination for All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). He later directed the movie musical adaptations of The Pajama Game (1957) and Damn Yankees (1958).

He was very prolific and active till his death at 107 years old.

Source: Wikipedia

Announcements

Deirdre and Leah need your help. The Taste of Ojai workday will be October 23^rd. Roll up your sleeves and make this premier event an even greater success! More info forthcoming.

The Ojai Rotary Education Board Meeting will be October 15^th.  All members are invited.

The Rotary Youth Exchange is coming soon. Students ages 15-19 immerse themselves in other cultures and new languages and become global citizens. Rotarians host exchange students from many countries for up to one year (can be divided among multiple members as hosts).

If you are interested, contact our Presidents.

Our Holiday Party will take place on December 12^th from 4-6:30 PM at the home of Dave Brubaker.

We need volunteers to attend our booth on Ojai Day and repreeeesent! 10 AM tp 5 PM On October 17^th. Contact our Presidents for more details.

11/6-International Service Committee meeting.

Our own Andy Gilman told us of the Agora Foundation’s Free Community Seminar Series

Foundations of Our Republic. It will be a deep dive into the foundational documents of our Democracy. 

Kent Hall (City Hall)

Monday, October 12

12:00-1:00PM PDT

Upcoming Speakers

10/16-Dan Pingaro-Ojai Land Conservancy-New Executive Director

10/23-Dark (Taste of Ojai on 10/25)

10/30-Dark

Fining: Liz Sampton

Liz led a rather spirited fining session. (Had to be there!)

Wendy, Fern, Mike, Marilyn, and Christine succumbed to the rather unique fining methods of Ms. Sampson

Our Program-Jordan Kear

Jordan Kear is a prominent California Registered Professional Geologist (No. 6960) and Certified Hydrogeologist (No. 749) who serves as the Principal Hydrogeologist of Kear Groundwater, a firm specializing in water resource management, well design, and hydrological consulting. [1, 2]

He is widely recognized as a leading expert on the Ojai groundwater basin and frequently acts as a primary consultant for local water agencies and municipal projects. His work heavily influences water tracking and policy in the Ojai Valley region. [1, 2]

Core Roles & Local Water Contributions

• Ojai Basin Stewardship: Kear has studied the Ojai groundwater basin for over two decades. He provides technical evaluations, data logging, and regular status updates on basin capacity, recharge rates, and drought conditions to the Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency (OBGMA).

• Public and Municipal Consultation: He serves as a critical water consultant for the City of Ojai and neighboring utility districts like the Meiners Oaks Water District, advising them on pumping impacts, well interference modeling, and sustainable resource strategies. 

• Kear Groundwater Services: Through his private firm based out of the Santa Barbara area, he provides professional services ranging from water supply well locating, design, and structural evaluation to expert witness services specializing in California hydrogeology. Source: Driller DB

“I can talk about water for years!”  Mr. Kear took us through the history of water in the Ojai Basin. We followed 100 drops of water from mountain (upside down layer cake due to tectonic shifts) to the sea. Vaporization, ground absorption, runoff, and movement into aquafers take up those drops of water.

Thank-You, Jordan for a timely and engaging presentation.

President Bret presented a gift of citrus.

Final Thoughts

“Whiskey’s for drinking, water is for fighting.”

Wrongly attributed to Mark Twain.

Editor's Note: All areas in blue print are links for additional information.