Hi-Jinx Bulletin-May 18, 2026 Mtg

President Jim Brubaker opened the meeting, George Sullivan led the Pledge, and Pres. Jim led the Smile song. Mimi Gaffey, who turns 90 on Friday, was heralded with our birthday song.

 

• May 21 - North County Food Bank

• May 28 - Rotary Social/Finocchiaro home

• Jun     1 - Board Mtg: current & new board

• Jun     6 - Bocce Ball Tourney & BBQ

• Jun    10 - Brother Benno’s Food Svc

• Jun   27 - Demotion Dinner

 

       Our next regular Monday meetings will be June 1 and 15, at the Bressi Ranch Holiday Inn. Pres. Jim will send details prior to each. RSVPs are requested to keep lunch costs down. 

 

       Christian Chapman and his Scholarship Committee will be awarding scholarships to 11 students (about $4,000 each) next week: 5pm at Carlsbad High May 26 and at Sage Creek May 27. He gave a shout-out to JoAnn Ross and her committee for the scholarship fundraiser; since this fundraiser began some 4-5 years ago, we have raised $250,000 for scholarships.

 

       The CHNR Board has approved William (Bill) Bundshue for membership. He is sponsored by Rocco Ciesco, and his category is non-profit pet services. He had a long career in legislative service and selling technology. Anyone wishing to comment needs to contact Pres. Jim before June 1.

 

       • Combo CHNR Board Meeting: The current and incoming CHNR boards will meet Mon., June 1, at 10:30am at the Holiday Inn’s gazebo.

       • Demotion Dinner: Agua Hedionda Discovery Center June 27. “Active” members have paid for the dinner in their dues; Rule 85 members and guests, $40 each. Past Pres. Velyn Anderson welcomes help planning the evening’s festivities.

 

       Bob Stonebrook led a team of hardy CHNR members in Hosp Grove May 16, doing general cleanup and raking. Our club spearheaded this project that also included non-members’ and City of Carlsbad participation.

 

  

 

    

 

 

       • Jefferson Book Fair will be held May 21-22.

       • Interact Club: Mary Fritz-Wilson reported our CHS Interact Club has been very active, raising funds for their overseas Girls Soccer Academy water project via parent-night-out babysitting events and including a $1,000 donation from CHNR. The teen group also has begun a tutoring program for Jefferson Elementary students.

 

       • Brother Benno's Food Service, Wed., June 10: Contact Paul Kartzke to sign up: prkartzke@gmail.com

       • North County Food Bank, Thur., June 18, 1-4pm. Beth Garrow will send sign-up information for this monthly club service activity. Advance signup is required. Contact: Beth at 630-207-6979, bethgarrow@comcast.net

 

       • The next club social will May 28 (new date), hosted by Yvonne Finocchiaro. The event begins at 4:30pm and will be a Spanish Night, with appropriate food provided. Spanish attire welcome. Signup Genius to be sent.

       • Annual Bocce Ball & BBQ: This tournament and barbecue, in memory of longtime CHNR member John Simons, will be held 11am-3pm June 6 in Magee Park, 258 Beech Ave. Bring your own beverage and a dish to share.

       • Casual Lunch Date: A small group of Rotarians gathered at the downtown Pizza Port for a casual lunch May 12, followed by a visit to the Barrio Glassworks—so fascinating that Rocco Ciesco is hoping to set up a date for an all-club visit.

   

 

The Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant

Michelle Peters, CEO,

Channelside Resources

 

 

       Rocco Ciesco introduced Michelle Peters, CEO for Channelside Resources, owner of Carlsbad’s Claude “Bud” Lewis Desalination Plant, the largest desalination plant in North America. She shared some history of the plant that was built by Poseidon and was sold to Channelside Resources several years ago. The project is structured as a private-public partnership and launched in 2015 after a purchase agreement with the SD County Water Authority.

       It is located near what was the Encina Power Station on the Agua Hedionda Lagoon and provides desalinated water to the San Diego County Water Authority for its 22-member agencies.

       The goal was less reliance on imported water, Peters said, and that has been occurring. Other pluses: a drought-proof supply of water, improved water quality, enhanced regional supply reliability and local control, strong public support—and it complements water recycling.

       She shared the plant’s five steps to fresh, clean drinking water: pretreatment, secondary pretreatment, reverse osmosis building, post treatment and product water storage. The desalination plant, she said, can provide 56,000 acre feet per year in its current configuration.

       Getting seawater to the desalination plant has been accomplished by using Encina Power Plant facilities. With
the power plant now gone, Channelside has begun its “permanent water intake and wetlands mitigation project,” which is evident to anyone traveling the Carlsbad coast.

at Bressi Ranch Holiday Inn

 

Don Fipps

District 5340 Update and Freedom Park