Feb 26, 2026
RENDERINGS COURTESY BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL
Bakersfield Christian High School (BCHS) announces the launch of fundraising efforts for a new Aquatics Center and Wrestling & Athletic Flex Facility, a transformational campus project designed to expand athletic opportunities, enhance student wellness, and serve the broader Bakersfield community.
The planned facility will feature a competition-grade 25-yard by 38-meter outdoor stretch pool with a movable bulkhead, allowing the pool to be configured for swim meets, water polo, and team practices. Adjacent to the pool will be a 4,000-square-foot indoor flex space primarily designed for wrestling, with support for cheer, fitness training, meetings, and other multi-use programming.
“This project represents far more than a pool, “says Matthew Guinn, President of BCHS. “It’s an investment in our students, our programs, and our future. These facilities will create meaningful opportunities for growth, teamwork, and excellence, while strengthening our campus and community for generations to come.”
Fundraising efforts are now underway, and if you want more information, please contact Raj Cheshire, BCHS Vice President of Advancement at 661-410-7000.
Mendiburu visits students in Wasco. PHOTO COURTESY CSUB
Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) Superintendent John Mendiburu was recently inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame for California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). Mendiburu received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CSUB, as well as a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of LaVerne in 2010.
With a 30-year career in education, Mendiburu worked as a teacher, principal, and superintendent at the Rosedale Union School District (RUSD). In 2019, he joined KCSOS as an associate superintendent, and in 2023, he was appointed by the county Board of Education to serve in his current role as superintendent.
The other inductees to the CSUB Hall of Fame include retired California Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Jennifer Barrera, Migrant Education Director Janie Flores, retired Kern Medical Chief Financial Officer Fred Plane, and Kern County Superior Court Judge David Zulfa.
The Kern Fire Safe Council was recently awarded a CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant in the amount of $816,677.12. Known as the Frontier Trail & Kernville Community Protection Plan, these funds will support critical wildfire mitigation efforts over a three-year timeframe on the western edge of Kernville, primarily within the Frontier Trail community. The work will be done in collaboration with the Kern County Fire Department, the United States Forest Service (Kern River Ranger District), and the Frontier Trail Home Owners Association.
This project aims to reduce wildfire risk and improve safety for the town of Kernville and the surrounding Sequoia National Forest. Funding allocation from this grant includes conducting hazardous fuels reduction on about 180 acres, thinning overgrown trees, and assistance in creating defensible space around homes.
For more information, please visit www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
PHOTO COURTESY KERN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES
Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (KernBHRS) was recently awarded a 2025 Challenge Award from the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) for its Mobile Evaluation Team (MET) Communications Program, which embeds behavioral health staff directly in 911 dispatch centers across Kern County.
“Kern Behavioral and Recovery Services is proud to receive this CSAC Challenge Award. The award belongs to the many staff across behavioral health, dispatch, and our law enforcement partners who make this work possible every day,” says Director of KernBHRS Alison Burrowes. “By embedding behavioral health professionals directly in 911 dispatch centers, we are responding differently to crisis calls and improving access to care for community members who need it most. This program reflects how working together across city and county agencies leads to meaningful improvements in how we support our community members in crisis.”
The MET Communications Center Program was created collaboratively with behavioral health, dispatch, and law enforcement leadership to assist with behavioral-health-related emergency calls to 911. With KernBHRS staff assisting at these dispatch centers, over 6,500 calls over a four-year period were transferred to the Mobile Evaluative Team, and 75 percent of those calls did not require a traditional law enforcement response. This not only improved access to care in emergency situations but also reduced unnecessary responses, leading to cost savings for the community.
For more information, please visit www.kernbhrs.org.
The North of the River Recreation & Park District (NOR) is introducing a new monthly membership program, the NOR Rec Pass, launching in March. The pass is designed to make recreation and enrichment programs easier to access, with additional classes and activities planned as the program grows.
“The NOR Rec Pass is about making recreation easier, more accessible, and more welcoming for everyone,” says Lauren Cronk, NOR Director of Recreation. “Introducing it during our Foundation’s scholarship fundraiser and free community event reflected exactly what this membership is meant to support – opportunity and belonging.”
Membership options include individual and family plans. Benefits include unlimited access to select drop‑in classes, Open Gym Basketball, program discounts, member prize entries, and participation in the Net Zero Carbon Club, a sustainability‑focused series offered in partnership with California Resources Corporation (CRC). Early offerings include Skateboard Sessions and other low‑carbon recreation activities.
Residents who enroll by May 1 will receive a bonus hour on a three‑hour picnic shelter rental. More information is available at www.NORfun.org.
