Wednesday morning, April 15—Tax Day—arrived right on schedule, much like the IRS, whether we were ready or not. Bakersfield Breakfast Rotarians filed in with coffee in hand and calculators… well, at least mental ones… still trying to remember if they filed, extended, or were just hoping for the best.

Our ever-reliable welcoming committee, Bill Black and John Sabovich, stood guard at the door like friendly auditors, greeting everyone with smiles, handshakes, and just enough energy to make us forget (briefly) about deductions and deadlines. Inside, Karen Bonanno brought a calming moment of reflection with a warm invocation—something we all appreciated, especially those of us silently praying our receipts were in order.

Frank Wooldridge led the flag salute with confidence, ensuring that even on Tax Day, we could all correctly identify our right hand from our left—no small feat before 7 a.m. Carol Smith then took the lead at the front, guiding us through a spirited rendition of the “BBRC Rotary Song.” While not all notes were tax-deductible, the enthusiasm certainly counted.

Stephanie Baker, our announcer-in-chief, shared that we were joined by three visiting Rotarians from the Twilight Rotary Club—Jeremy McMahon, Jeremy Swanson, and Luke—who wisely chose to start their Tax Day with fellowship instead of forms.

 

 

Just when we thought Tax Day couldn’t deliver anything of value, along came a return worth celebrating—our speaker, Zane Smith, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County.

Zane shared perspective from his 29 years as Executive Director and 37 years in youth development, leading an organization that now serves nearly 10,000 youth daily across 75 locations in 15 school districts throughout Kern County.

He highlighted the continued growth of the Nile Street campus, including plans for a new Life and Workforce Readiness Center focused on vocational training, life skills, and potential housing support for foster youth. The breadth of programs is impressive, ranging from serving thousands of meals daily to robust offerings in visual and performing arts, eSports, and hands-on workforce training through internships and skills development.

Zane also spoke about the impact of inclusive programs like Enable, which supports youth with developmental disabilities, and shared meaningful success stories that demonstrate the life-changing influence of the Clubs. With an annual budget of around $30 million—largely state-funded—he noted both the strength of current support and the ongoing need for community involvement to continue expanding their reach.

 

 We had plenty to celebrate this week, starting with a club birthday for Marlene Heise on April 16—hope it was a great one, Marlene!

 

Wedding anniversary wishes go out to Ken and Susan Quarnberg as they celebrate 36 wonderful years together, an impressive milestone by any measure.

 

And congratulations to Temo Lopez on his 7-year Rotary anniversary—thank you for your continued dedication and service to the club. 💙💛

 

💰 Happy Spots & Fines!

Tax Day brought out both generosity and good-natured penalties as Happy Spots and fines rolled in like line items on a well-prepared return.

 

Willie Gordon happily claimed a $30 “refund” of joy from his trip to Puerto Vallarta, even sweetening the deal by bringing back mescal for Queen Jackie—now that’s a deductible gift in Rotary spirit.

 

                           

                                       

                                   

                                           

 

On the liability side of the ledger, Myah Salinas was assessed $20 after being spotted on Channel 17 as a local influencer—proof that fame comes with a price. Not to be outdone, Jennifer Henry incurred a $30 fine for being inducted into the West High School Hall of Fame for her community involvement. Clearly, success and recognition remain fully taxable in this club!

Announcements came fast and full—no extensions granted, even on Tax Day! Members were reminded that next Wednesday’s all-club luncheon will replace the regular meeting (so the club will be dark that morning), featuring guest speaker Chris Kelly, a casino CEO.

 

Looking ahead, the Twilight Rotary Trivia Championship is set for May 1, hosted by the Twilight Club, with teams of four for $100 and a fun-filled evening of member-created trivia, food, drinks, and music at the Boys & Girls Club on the west side. The e-bike raffle fundraiser is gaining momentum, with 200 tickets available at $50 each and two bikes up for grabs, with the drawing taking place during trivia night.

 

 

 

 

Service opportunities are also in full swing, including a tree planting event this Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, with volunteers needed to help plant 13–16 trees, and continued work on the Thousand Flags project with a volunteer session planned for next Thursday.

 

Finally, an update on the club’s major fundraiser showed strong progress at $49,500 pledged toward an increased goal this year, benefiting the Fire Department 9/11 Memorial, Blue Star Moms, and Aqua Vets Heroes. Members were reminded that April 30 is the deadline to secure sponsorship recognition in the event brochure and on T-shirts.

Luck was smiling on Marti Sanders, who snagged the 50/50 drawing and walked away $55 richer—proof that it does pay to show up!