Welcome to The Beacon—the weekly chronicle of cheer, caffeine, and controlled

chaos otherwise known as the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club meeting. Today’s lone greeter, Sean Kelly, bravely manned the front lines while his scheduled backup pulled a disappearing act worthy of a magician. Fortunately, Sean had unexpected reinforcements: our eager rookie Rotarians, John Sabovich and Sandy Kelser. Armed with clipboards and big smiles, they cornered every incoming Rotarian like autograph hunters at a rock concert—determined to get those signatures proving actual human contact. (It’s all part of the great Rotary ritual: the sacred quest from red badge to blue.) Somehow, while juggling sign-ins, greetings, and general mayhem, Sean also managed to keep the 50/50 ticket sales rolling. Truly, multitasking at its finest!

Today’s scribe duties were handled by none other than your Beacon editor, Teresa Waller, filling in for Tom Burke—who’s currently perfecting his “break a leg” impression a little too literally. Feel better soon, Tom!

Queen Jackie took the throne (a.k.a. the podium) to kick off the morning festivities, summoning our resident invocation expert, Stephanie Baker. At this point, Stephanie’s done so many invocations she could probably deliver one in her sleep—or on a unicycle—without missing a beat. Next up, Kay Pitts led us in the flag salute, reminding us that even before coffee, Rotarians can stand, salute, and look semi‑coordinated. Then came Carol E. Smith, who took charge of the morning anthem, “God Bless America.” Her voice rang out so strong you’d think Francis Scott Key wrote it just for her—and rumor has it a few pancakes even stood at attention.

Today’s Daring Visitors

We rolled out the golden carpet for our visiting guests today! Jennifer Henry arrived with her guest, Brooke Baird—remember that name, folks, because just like a plot twist in a Hallmark movie, she’ll be making a triumphant reappearance later in this newsletter. Bill Black proudly brought along his son, Jonathan, who’s probably still wondering if all our meetings are this delightfully unpredictable. And rounding out the entourage, Bryan Wooster showed up with his lovely bride, Amber, who instantly raised the average classiness level in the room by about 40%.

Another Trip Around the Sun (and the Rotary Wheel)

Older, Wiser… Still Rotating!

This week we celebrated three brave souls who continue their courageous journey around the sun: Bryan Wooster, Marti Sanders, and our newly‑minted Rotarian, John Sabovich. May your year be filled with laughter, cake, and minimal reminders about how early our meetings start.

On the anniversary front, we raised a metaphorical toast (and a literal coffee cup) to two Rotary veterans: Carol Smith, marking 27 years of service! That’s over a quarter century of keeping meetings on track, songs in tune, and presidents in line. (Frankly, she deserves hazard pay—or at least first dibs on the donuts.) —and the amazing Mindy Wilmot, celebrating 7 years of cheer, charm, and community spirit. Congratulations to all, and remember: birthdays are optional, but Rotary anniversaries are forever!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

During our recent Charter Night celebration, two of our finest Rotarians shone brighter than a fresh coat of Rotary gold paint! Marti Sanders was crowned Rotarian of the Year—because apparently there’s no such thing as “Rotarian Overachiever of the Decade.” Meanwhile, Denise Haynes took home the coveted President’s Award, proving that good deeds and endless patience in dealing with us early‑morning types do not go unnoticed. Congratulations to both—you’ve officially set the bar high enough that the rest of us will need a ladder.

Cash for Confessions

(AKA Happy Spots and Fines)

Jennifer Henry was happy to report she’d made a very smart hire at Links for Life: none other than past president David Lari’s better half, Marti, proving Rotarians always know where to find the real talent.
Bryan Wooster was a full $50 happy about finding Amber and being blissfully married for 14 years, proudly declaring that she made him the man he is today.
Kay Pitts was so touched by that declaration of love that she immediately picked up the tab and paid Bryan’s $50 happy spot herself—true romance, Rotary‑style.
Not to be outdone, Frank Wooldridge slapped himself with a preemptive $25 fine for appearing in the paper as part of The Jockey Club’s induction into the Kern County Sports Hall of Fame, then gifted Queen Jackie a special pin from The Jockey Club as a classy bribe—uh, token of appreciation.
The moment Frank pinned her, Queen Jackie realized she wasn’t wearing a Rotary pin and promptly fined herself $25 for the fashion violation.
Before anyone could blink, Bill Black jumped up and cheerfully offered to cover the Queen’s self‑imposed fine, proving that in this club, chivalry—and creative cash flow—are very much alive.
And just when you thought the fines were finished, Queen Jackie added one more for the history books. She nailed Past Presidents Dave Spalinger and Ron Nelms for what she diplomatically—well, sort of diplomatically—called “grab‑ass” during Charter Night. Before anyone could clutch their pearls, she clarified that this vintage 1940s American slang simply means goofing off, messing around, and generally not doing what you’re supposed to be doing—which, to be fair, they executed at a championship level.

GUEST SPEAKER: POLICE ATHLETICS LEAGUE (PAL)

Executive Director Naomi Vidales and Officer Jose Lara gave us a whirlwind tour of BPAL—that’s the Bakersfield Police Activities League, for those of us still catching up on acronyms before our second cup of coffee. They operate out of a six‑acre youth oasis at 301 East 4th Street (yes, the famous corner of 4th and Union), where

kids are far more likely to pick up a basketball than bad habits. With help from a cool $1,000,000 city grant and plenty of community love, the place has been transformed from “it works” to “wow,” complete with a refreshed boxing gym, new equipment, and air conditioning that actually does its job.

Currently, about 400 kids cycle through BPAL’s world of organized chaos, with sports like baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, jujitsu, boxing, and even pickleball keeping them moving, sweating, and (mostly) too tired to misbehave. Then there’s the “I can’t believe this is all in one place” list: an equestrian program with an arena and corrals, robotics, forensics, tutoring, and a full kitchen for culinary classes where kids learn how not to burn water. They get snacks and dinner every day, so for many kids, BPAL is not just a safe place to hang out—it’s where they get fed, mentored, and reminded that they matter.

Naomi and Jose shared story after story of kids who started at BPAL and went on to become business owners, college athletes, public servants, and even police officers themselves. Some of them never really leave: they come back as coaches, mentors, or volunteers, proving the circle of BPAL life is very real—and powered by boxing gloves, basketballs, and a lot of heart. The legendary boxing program, now more than 30 years strong, even attracts participants from outside the neighborhood, which means people willingly drive across town to get punched in the face for a good cause.

Of course, all this magic doesn’t happen on good intentions alone. BPAL is a nonprofit, and aside from the city covering Naomi’s and Jose’s salaries, everything else depends on grants, donations, and a busy calendar of fundraisers. From the upcoming clay shoot, to the long‑running Battle of the Badges boxing event, to Hometown Heroes, beer booths at the fair, fireworks stands, and tri‑tip cookouts, they hustle year‑round to keep the doors open and the lights on.

NEW MEMBER INDUCTION:

There are Rotary inductions… and then there was this one. Our fearless membership director, Temo Lopez, waddled in dressed as a full‑blown T‑Rex—tiny arms, giant tail, the whole Jurassic package—to induct our newest member, Brooke Baird, a 20‑plus‑year partner at Brown Armstrong. The visual of a respected CPA being formally welcomed into Rotary by an inflatable dinosaur may go down as the greatest “business casual” moment in club history—and yes, the photos will absolutely be used as evidence later. Welcome to the club Brooke!

Until Next Wednesday

We wrapped things up with the 50/50 drawing, where your humble Beacon editor, Teresa Waller, walked away with the princely sum of $55—proving that occasionally, taking notes really does pay. Normally we’d post a proud winner’s photo, but Teresa executed an Olympic‑level camera dodge and disappeared to go enjoy her loot before anyone could document the evidence.

See you next week, when our speaker will be Bill Lamanque with Kern County Airports—so buckle up, tray tables stowed, and prepare for takeoff at Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary.

ENJOY SOME PHOTOS FROM CHARTER NIGHT: