Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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There is always a lot of news about the actions of the Shafter City Council, the governing body of the city. Comparatively little is heard about the operating of the city behind the scenes when it comes to the inner workings of planning and developing. The Shafter Planning Department is responsible for the land use of the city, and making sure it adheres to the city’s General Plan. The General Plan includes the maps for Shafter, with areas zoned residential, commercial and industrial. The G...
The cafeteria staff at Redwood Elementary School and Richland Junior High were recognized recently for their efforts in helping clean the environment with a Special Recycle Award from the Shafter Chamber of Commerce. Long gone are the days of seeing a trash can full of uneaten food, bound for the local landfill. With regulations and requirements being imposed by the state, schools are being challenged to find ways to clean up and reduce their waste, especially organics that make normally end up...
City residents voiced concerns about the hiring process for a new city manager at a special meeting of the City Council Tuesday morning – then the council went into closed session to interview seven candidates for the job. The day began at 7:30 a.m. with the special council meeting at City Hall. Residents were given a chance to voice any concerns they may have had. It was then on to Closed Session where the Council interviewed seven candidates for the position of City Manager. During the Public...
Shafter will be celebrating its annual Colours Festival Feb. 20-23 with a variety of events to showcase talent in the community. The festival will kick off with the annual Spaghetti Dinner put on by the Shafter Community Chest. The event includes a full spaghetti dinner and entertainment throughout the evening. Takeout meals will also be available. Also opening on Thursday night are the Silent Movies. The movies will feature Charlie Chaplin in A Night in the Show and Buster Keaton in Sherlock...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual Awards Banquet and State of the City Address on Thursday night, Jan. 23, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Shafter's Ford Theater. The evening will begin with a social and h'ors deuvres hour, followed by a dinner at 6:30 p.m., with the awards presentation to follow. Honorees this year include The Cinco de Mayo Festival, which won the Arts Group Award, Basham & Lara Funeral Care, for the Commercial Remodel Award, and Rosa Romero, for the...
A contingent from Walmart got a tour of the Minter Field Air Museum last week, continuing their education on the area prior to joining the new distribution center opening here later this year. On Jan. 15, the group met Ronald PIerce at the museum and was led on an informational tour that lasted about 90 minutes. According to Pierce, the group consisted of 15 Walmart employees from throughout the state of California who will be relocating to Shafter when the Walmart Distribution Center opens in...
The Shafter Generals basketball and soccer teams have flexed their muscles in the first half of the SSL season,with each team at or near the top in the league standings. The Shafter High boys basketball team are 3-1 in South Sequoia League play, with their lone loss a tough one on the road to Chavez, 63-51. Domnik Torres ended the game with a team high 14 points. The wins were against Taft, 65-41, McFarland, 65-32 and Arvin76-41. In the Taft game, the Generals had three players score at least...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their Terrific Kids Luncheon recently to celebrate and honor those students who have exhibited the character traits outlined in the program's mission statement. Each month, there is a different trait that students are recognized for. Those traits that the Kiwanis Club and the school's teachers are looking for include Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable. Golden Oak Principal Anamarie Mendez and Vice...
Richland students are improving overall, but still are testing below state averages in every category, according to the latest scores. At the recent Richland School District board meeting, a presentation was given on the most recent Dashboard numbers for the district when it comes to classroom performance. These reports break down the results for students in third to fifth grades, as well as by student groups, such as English Learners, students with disabilities and students without...
A special City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning, Jan. 21, at 7:30 a.m. focusing on the city’s search for a new city manager. There will be a time of public comment before the council members meet in a closed session. During that time, seven candidates will be interviewed. No candidate names have been released. The council is set then reconvene in open session, with time to report on what happened behind closed doors – or not. The regular City Council meeting still is sch...
With the recent opening of the assistant superintendent's position, there were several teachers and administrators who put their name in the hat for the job. Ultimately, the Richland School District welcomed back Annette Blacklock, former principal at Golden Oak Elementary. When Rocio Munoz left that job to take a position in a Bakersfield School District, the former principal of Redwood Elementary School was selected for the position. But, after approximately a week at the job, Luis Rodriguez...
In the competitive sport of wrestling, there are fierce rivalries amid the different leagues and divisions, making the season full of hotly contested matches, be it in duals or tournaments. But those competitive wrestlers came together recently when one of their own found out that he was facing a daunting challenge off the mat. Nickolas Garza, a junior at Shafter High, was diagnosed with leukemia and is fighting the disease with several rounds of chemotherapy. When the local wrestling community...
In the two years Don Pepe's has been open, building a reputation as a family-oriented, friendly restaurant for Shafter. Owner Jose Martinez has been successful in his vision, with the restaurant having a loyal customer base that is growing all the time. In a move intended to expand their following, the restaurant is unveiling a new menu that includes its popular Mexican fare along with American food, including burgers, sandwiches and pizza. Martinez bought the restaurant in 2017 and said that...
A record-setting number of Christmas trees were on display for the month of December at the Shafter Depot Museum in their annual Christmas Tree decorating contest. There were 16 trees entered this year in the competition, with the theme "Lights, Camera, Christmas!" Each tree depicted a holiday movie or scene, with a variety of titles from the competitors. Residents were encouraged to come to the museum and vote for their favorite tree, with the top three entrants recognized at the end of the...
Yes, it is that time of year again. For those of you who are wondering what to do with your Christmas tree, the City of Shafter has a drop-off location that is available. They are accepting trees at the City of Shafter Corporation Yard at 550 N. Shafter Ave., at the corner of East Tulare and North Shafter Avenues. They will be open five days a week, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are asking that you remove the tree stands, nails and decorations from the tree before bringing it to the...
The Shafter Animal Control Department serves all of the residents of Shafter, those walking on two legs or four. Animal Control Officer Nick Riddick and his staff bring together residents of Shafter and those animals who are needing places to call home. Shafter Animal Control offers a variety of services to the residents, including picking up stray animals, enforcing animal laws in the city and investigating of animal cruelty or neglect, as well as educating the public on the laws and...
Well, 2019 is in the rear view mirror, and the next decade is underway. This past year has been such a busy one for me. It has been full of some great times, like having a job that I just love, covering events, writing, taking photos and always learning. This job is really different every week, you never know what is going to happen. I am so thankful for this job, doing something that I love to do. It has also been a good one in our family, with everyone staying relatively healthy, safe, and...
The City Council is moving forward on interviewing four candidates to fill the open city manager position. The regular meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, had been cancelled, but the council held a special meeting Monday night to approve next steps in the process to replace Scott Hurlbert, who resigned in August. In a closed session, council members discussed possible candidates for the position and decided to start the interviewing process with four candidates. The interviews will be taking place...
The City of Shafter has been enjoying a reputation of being one of the fastest growing cities in business in recent years, attracting such companies as Target, Ross and several other big retailers. The most recent addition is Walmart, which is scheduled to open the most technologically advanced distribution center in the nation in Shafter in the fall of 2020. Bob Meadows, business development director for the city, says Shafter is a sought-after destination for businesses, large and small. "We...
The Shafter Boxing Club came home from the Silver Gloves Regional Championships with five competitors qualified to advance to the National Championships in Kansas later this year. The club, headed up by Mike Ayon and a staff of volunteers, had five winners in their respective weight classes. The event was held in Compton this past weekend. The local boxers qualified for the Regionals with victories in the state tournament held earlier in 2019. Alexa Diaz won the Girls 80 lb. division, giving...
The author of the book behind the movie "The Aviator" will highlight this year's Minter Field Air Museum Founder's Day Banquet next month. George Marrett is a former test pilot who has written four books on his exploits in the air, as well as his life dealing with Howard Hughes. Marrett wrote the book [BEGIN ITAL]The Aviator,[END ITAL] on which the 2004 movie "Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was based,. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, at Hodel's Country Dining. In past...
The City of Shafter continues to grow as it keeps strengthening one of the most financially stable cities in Kern County, if not the state of California. Shafter has a valuable weapon in its arsenal when it comes to attracting new businesses, as well as growing its core city. The Shafter Chamber of Commerce is an integral part of the makeup of the city, helping local businesses in many ways. If you ask the average resident what the Shafter Chamber of Commerce is, they will probably tell you...
[4-LINE DROP CAPS]2019[TO HERE] has come to an end, and it has been a very eventful year in Shafter, full of highs, and some lows, too. The year started off like the Fourth of July, with plenty of fireworks at the core of the city, as a returning city councilmember, Cathy Prout, retained her seat, as well as a newcomer in Cesar Lopez. Lopez was on the Shafter Recreation Board before deciding to run for the council. When the two were sworn in, the new council voted 3-2 to select Gilbert Alvarado...
There are so many ways that people can leave their mark on the world. Some write great novels, or paint masterpieces, and some leave their mark by their good deeds. Walter Bergen combined these traits, leaving behind 20 masterpieces that will leave his legacy for the children of Shafter. Bergen passed away recently at age 86. He was born in a house off of Sullivan Road and Enos Lane. Bergen went through Shafter schools and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He worked at a variety of...
The Shafter High School soccer team took down some heavyweights in the Central Valley soccer world on its way to the championship of the Liberty tournament. This tourney draws some of the top soccer teams in the area, including past Valley champions Centennial, Stockdale and Foothill, who won the Division III championship last year. The Generals, led by Coach Jorge Maldonado, went undefeated in the December tournament, outscoring opponents 14-3 over its four matches. According to Maldonado,...
