Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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Barry Braun, chairman of the Kern County Cemetery District 1, which includes Shafter and Wasco, has received the Trustee of the Year award from the California Association of Public Cemeteries. The award is given to a trustee who was nominated by their district for exceptional performance, including for their commitment of time and energy to working with others to improve and enhance their district, and to develop new approaches, methods and systems to improve organizational...
North Kern Christian School will have two fundraising events in the next month and a half. A Vendor Faire is planned for Saturday, April 27, and a BBQ and Auction is set for Saturday, May 4. Both events promise family fun, delicious food and an opportunity to support the school's mission of providing exceptional education rooted in faith. Sandy Armstrong is the director of the Home Study Program. In an interview, she said, "Our Vendor Faire will have homemade goods, sweet...
Wasco High School has an incentive program designed to inspire student achievement called STRIPES. Focused on positive reinforcement, students are taking away the message of showing respect, doing the right thing, focusing in class and being involved on campus, among other things. In its second year of the program, over 89% of the student body received at least one stripe of recognition from school leadership. In September 2022, WHS rolled out the program to highlight...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their annual Easter Sunrise Service at Mannel Park on Sunday, giving residents a chance to celebrate Resurrection Sunday together as a community. Over 100 attendees were met with hot coffee and donuts, taking the bite out of the very cold morning. They were welcomed with music by David Bleomhof, as well as an opening prayer by Kiwanis President Ben Wilson. Randy Toews sang a "He Arose" to open the service, then a scripture was read by Kiwanis...
A ceremony was held at Bakersfield High School in which 32 trainees received their badges in a pinning ceremony after the trainees completed an extensive training program. Of the 32 graduates, two of those were to become new members of the Shafter Police Department. Officer Herrera was pinned by Acting Chief Randy Milligan, as was Officer Escutia. They were among 47 trainees that started the program over six months ago that were sworn in by Judge David Zulfa. The officers also...
The Shafter City Council Tuesday night approved a revised development agreement with Lennar Homes for the Marcona Preserve development off of Seventh Standard Road. This property would be the site of 395 residential lots, ranging in size from 5,508 square feet to to 23,345 square feet (a large corner lot). The minimum size of a residential unit is 1,400 square feet. The agreement includes environmental impact fees of up to $15,000. This agreement will eliminate any...
At the Community Circle Church in Shafter, Easter Sunday was celebrated with a children's story. It was a familiar tale of the Three Little Pigs. Pastor Steve Dobbs told the story, complete with decorated houses on stage, as well as three pigs and, of course, the Big Bad Wolf. The service, attended by about 75 people, was held at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center in Shafter, now home to the church. There also was an Easter egg hunt for the kids and the adults immediately...
Shafter Depot Museum curator and local historian Stan Wilson gave an informative and entertaining lecture on the German POW camp that was stationed in Shafter back during World War II. Wilson was at the Shafter Library and Learning Center on Thursday evening and gave the attendees an informative recount of the prisoners who served as labor for the local cotton growers in the area beginning in 1944. He said local cotton growers were worried about a labor shortage on their farms...
The historic Wasco High School auditorium was filled with the rhythmic beats of steel drum music of the WHS Groove Steelers at their Pan Rocks concert last week. Known for the band's infectious and soulful melodies, the performance featured a special guest appearance by Tracy Thornton, whose presence added an extra layer of excitement to the evening's festivities. In an interview after the show, Eduardo Jimenez Corona said performing in front of a live crowd is stressful,...
The Wasco Woman's Club held its 2024 Wasco High School Fine Arts Awards recently, giving Wasco High School young talent a platform to shine and exhibit their exemplary artistic skills. Under the guidance of art teacher Julie Pineo, eight students received accolades for their one-of-a-kind art pieces created in various mediums. Mahalia Bradshaw won the Graduating Senior Art Award for her torn-paper mosaic, "Thoughts." "With my self-portrait piece, I wanted it to really be a...
The annual Spring it On Easter Egg Hunt hosted by the Wasco Recreation and Parks District brought families together for a day filled with excitement, laughter and plenty of Easter eggs. At Barker Park, parent Cristal Landeros appreciated the activity. "I came to bring my little one. He's been wanting to do activities for Easter, and I love that the city put this together for the kids and families." Gayle Coleman brought her three grandchildren. "It's an excellent time for...
A Wasco man was arrested for allegedly removing human remains from the scene of an accident. The accident occurred on March 22 at approximately 8:05 a.m., when a train fatally struck an individual at the Amtrak station in the city, according to the BNSF Railway and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Rosendo Tellez, 28, of Wasco, was taken into custody for taking evidence from the scene and for multiple outstanding warrants. He was booked into the Kern County Jail. The county Co...
At the Shafter Chamber of Commerce Banquet last week, the awards committee recognized Maria Martinez with the Health Award. Martinez has spent the last couple of decades dedicated to the health and happiness of Shafter's seniors. Martinez is the senior adult coordinator for the Shafter Recreation Department, heading up a variety of programs and activities that are geared to keeping Shafter's seniors moving. "I think that our seniors can be an active, productive members of the...
A front-page headline in last week's paper said the Distinguished Young Woman's event would be held on Saturday. It was on Friday. A picture of candidate Celeste Perez was misidentified as Kaitlyn Arismendez. A sports picture of Navian Jimenez was miscaptioned as his brother, Jayden Jimenez. The Shafter Press regrets the errors....
The students in the Richland School District have had a busy month of March, with several events and activities in each of the Shafter public elementary schools. At Golden Oak Elementary, they held their annual Open House event. Students had a chance to show their parents examples of their work and art, as well as the classroom environment that they spend so much of their days in. The parents also had a chance to meet with their children's teachers, getting to know them, as...
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Shafter’s Timothy Sheldon to the California Corrections Peace Officers Commission. This position is a part of a commission that optimizes the well-being and performance of correctional peace officers. The commission’s mission is to prioritize the correctional peace officers’ well-being, resilience, and performance by elevating training through standards development, apprenticeship improvement, and training evaluation. Sheldon has worked in co...
The Shafter Recreation Department will be installing a solar array with part of a federal grant for just over $230,000 for improvements at the Walker Senior Center. The grant also will fund an upgrade to the parking lot. According to District Manager Phillip Jimenez, the grant was a pleasant surprise. "We didn't know what to expect when we applied for the grant. We are pretty small compared to other organizations that got a similar grant from the same program. We are very...
The Richland School District broke ground recently on a new building that will house a portion of its Expanded Learning Opportunity Program, servicing local elementary school students. The ELOP, explained Richland's Jaime Cherry, is an after-school program that gives students an opportunity to learn, as well as have fun after school. "The program allows parents to have a sense of peace while they are at work, knowing that their children are being provided extra opportunities...
Camryn Eubanks was named the Distinguished Young Woman of Shafter for the Class of 2025 on Friday night. Camryn won $2,300 in scholarships, in addition to a medal and the opportunity to represent the city at the State DYW program to be held in July in Bakersfield. She was sponsored by Mashburn Transportation and is the daughter of Nick and Roya Eubanks. Winning the First Alternate title was Celeste Perez, and the Second Alternate was Adriana Moreno Bravo. The Shafter program...
The Shafter City Council Tuesday afternoon discussed the status of the city's budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, and also talked about the future numbers dealing with the fiscal year 2024/2025. The city saw an increase in the net position financially, with an increase of $8.1 million, giving the city a net position of $235 million in assets. This increase, according to Financial Director Roger Sanchez, is a result of an increase of sales tax and property tax revenue. Sanchez...
Richard Keith Reding, Sr., born on September 10, 1935, in Montgomery County, Tenn., lived an exemplary life of service above all. He was a man of faith and family, going over and beyond to serve his beloved community of Wasco, where he lived for 59 years. He passed away on March 17 at age 88. Reding taught physical education, health and typing at Thomas Jefferson Middle School for 35 years. The Richard K. Reding Gymnasium at Palm Ave Middle School was named after him. Reding...
The Wasco High School Drama Club presented the musical Annie to hundreds over a three-day run of performances at the school's historic auditorium. A cast of 27 thespians graced the stage to put on a show that dazzled and entertained, complete with singing, dancing, original costumes and elaborate set designs. Annie is the classic tale of the red-headed orphan who eventually gets adopted by the millionaire Daddy Warbucks. Sophia Perezchica played the lead role of Annie. In a...
In collaboration with the city of Wasco, the Wasco Rotary Club placed 4-Way Test signs along Highway 43 near Filburn Street. The effort symbolized the Rotary mission and was a way to remind the community to be the best citizens possible. "Our club members came together to support and provide service to our community while embodying the Rotary 4-Way Test, which is: 1) Is it the truth? 2) Is it fair to all concerned? 3) Will it build goodwill and better friendships? and 4) Will...
A kidnapping scam is targeting local people, Sergeant Herbert Stout from the Kern County Sheriff's Office told the City Council Tuesday night. "It involves telephone calls to residents in which the caller states that they have kidnapped a family member and demands money," Stout said. "They would then tell the person they are talking to to wire them money through a green dot card or a wire transfer through a local store. After transferring the money, they would hang up on...
It was more than just fun at the Wasco High School Tiger Parent Club Spring Paint Night – it was an evening of information to guide parents on better connecting with their children. Led by trained social workers, parents took home tools to inspire and motivate them to build stronger ties and closer relationships with their young ones. "The event aimed to provide a creative outlet for parents and students while offering practical strategies to help better serve their child a...
