Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Unexpected sales tax revenue from online business, higher oil prices and new businesses have put the city in an improved financial position, according to reviews presented to the City Council this week. The Shafter City Council listened to a presentation of the Financial Report and Audit for the fiscal year ending June 30 at their regular meeting on Tuesday. Presented by acting City Manager Jim Zervis, the report stated that the city is "financially sound" and had a net increase of total assets...
Today, people find it more important than ever to stay connected through their cell phones, computers and tablets. Shafter Wireless, located at 311 Central Ave., is equipped to keep customers of all carriers connected. Albert Ceballos and his son Albert Jr. have been providing the community with service for over five years at their current location. Before that, he operated Shafter Discount Store, which was just down the street at 200 Central Ave. Major surgery put Albert out of commission for...
It has been over four years since Shafter High has won a Valley Championship in any sport, the last being the boys cross country team in 2015. The Shafter High Lady Generals tennis team came within one point from capturing that elusive title. Shafter heartbreakingly lost to Tulare Mission Oak in the Division V title match with a score of 4-5. The lone winner in the singles portion of the match was No. 1 player Nayeli Puente, who defeated Mission Oak's Madison Bowen 6-4, 6-4. It was a tight match...
There will be a joint funeral service held at First Presbyterian Church in Bakersfield on Monday for local pioneers Donald and Izetta Camp, who passed away just days of each other last week, after sharing over 70 years together. Donald Camp, who with his family operated one of the most well-known farming institutions in the area. He was born in Shafter, while his parents, Wofford Benjamin (W.B.) Camp Sr., and his wife, Georgia Anna Camp, were living at the U.S. Cotton Research Station. Camp met...
The California High Speed Rail Authority has recently completed the Environmental Clearance for the final 23-mile route between Shafter and Bakersfield. This clearance completes the state’s environmental review process between Fresno and Bakersfield and allows the authority to move forward with project construction into Bakersfield. This is the first major environmental action taken under the newly granted federal National Environmental Policy Act, and emphasizes the authority’s commitment to ac...
The Fourth Annual SMBC Takedown was held on Saturday, giving newer wrestlers some valuable experience in a competitive setting. The Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church was the host of the event. Started in 2016, the tourney is designed to give younger wrestlers a taste of competitive wrestling. Pastor Pat Coyle, of SMBC, was a competitive wrestler in his college days and has been running a wrestling camp for over a decade. Coyle decided to start the tournament as an addition to the camp, wanting...
Fabrie Jewelry Store was the victim of a burglary over the weekend, with the culprit or culprits getting away with an estimated $50,000 worth of merchandise. Richie Fabrie, owner of the store, said that he didn't discover that he had been burglarized until Monday morning when he opened the store. "The alarm system was still armed. It didn't go off, so whoever did this had to have disabled it." Once entering the store, Fabrie noticed that the cases in the back of the store were open and the...
The Minter Field Air Museum had the honor to participate in 100th year of a tradition that saw a huge crowd gathered for the Bakersfield Veterans Day Parade. The event, which took place in downtown Bakersfield, drew a lot of fans from around the county, as well as revelers paying their respects to the men and women who have served, or are still serving, the country. Minter Field was represented by the yellow Follow Me Jeep, driven by the MFAM chairman of the board, WWII veteran Everett...
After serving the city of Shafter for 13 years, Jasmine's Bakery is still just as tasty, says owner Juan Lagunas. Juan's son Daniel, who manages the bakery, said they haven't regretted their move from Bakersfield since opening in December of 2006. Jasmine's is a family-owned and operated business. Eight members of the Lagunas family are involved in the day-to-day operations, including daughter Yvett, who helps out after practice as a proud member of the Richland Trojan Marching Band. The bakery...
The Shafter Congregational Church gave the community a safe option on Halloween night, holding a Trunk-or-Treat event in the church's parking lot. There were dozens of cars and trucks, each one decorated in a different theme. Kids could play games and collect candy at each car. With community members' concerns over the safety of this holiday, events like this are rising in popularity. Mother Juanita Contreras said her kids had a great time at the event, and that it eased her mind to know the...
A football game is a contest made up of four quarters. Unfortunately, on Friday night, the Shafter Generals only showed up for two. Up against the Arvin Bears in the first round of the Division V playoffs, Shafter saw the Bears dominate them in every phase of the game in the first half. After spotting the Generals a two-point safety on their first series, the Bears scored 28 unanswered points. The Generals troubles started on offense, with the hosts unable to sustain a drive because of missed bl...
Veterans Day was this week. It was recognized with a parade in Bakersfield and a large crowd came out to honor the men and women who have served or currently serve in our branches of the military. It is sad to see that more and more the holiday is celebrated for being a day off of school or work, or just one more day you don’t have to worry about getting that load of bills in the mail. Well, when it was first started back in 1918, it stood for the end of World War I. It was a day to recognize t...
The Kern County Cemetery District, which includes both the Shafter and Wasco Cemeteries, were awarded the California Special Districts Association Transparency Certification at the California Association of Public Cemeteries at a meeting last month. This program was created by the Special District Leadership Foundation in an effort to promote transparency in the operations and governance of special districts to the public and to provide special districts with an opportunity to showcase their...
The North Shafter area will see improvements in its infrastructure under a project approved by the City Council Tuesday night. The council awarded a contract to Kern Asphalt for work on the shoulders of Highway 43 from Mayer Lane to Tulare Avenue. In the decision, the council also approved a project to put monument boxes along the roadway. These monuments establish the centerlines of roads within these communities. A field investigation by city crews traced and located seven of the 24...
Each year during Shafter-Wasco Week, the two high school campuses light up with a flurry of activities culminating in the annual battle on the gridiron. This year, Shafter High held dress-up days throughout the week, including Queen Day. Students were encouraged to dress up like a Wasco Rose Queen, with an outlandish amount of makeup and glittery garb. At lunchtime, there were games and activities. Wednesday night saw the old gym packed with students and community members for the Shafter...
The second annual Wings 'N' Wheels event was held Saturday, and there was something for everyone, whether your interests lie on land or in air. Put on by Minter Field Air Museum, the event drew thousands to the Minter Field Airport for a glimpse of a great variety of winged aircrafts and motor vehicles. At one of the biggest car shows in the area, there were over 350 cars and trucks, with several classes of vehicles, from classics to hot rods to pickup trucks. The day saw a large number of...
The Shafter Woman's Club has been busy with numerous events this past month in their efforts to serve the community. The club sponsored a student from Shafter High School, Ashley Castillo, to participate in the HOBY program. The Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership program was founded in 1958 and empowers young people to use their leadership skills in their education and career. The participants attend a conference in which they are given tools to be a good leader and to develop their interpersonal...
Minter Field Air Museum will have a new display in the near future, thanks to the daughter of a World War II veteran who wrote one of twelve documents that were used in the surrender of Japan, ending World War II. Cheri Mudryk, a Bakersfield resident, brought a copy of the surrender documents that her father had a hand in writing. Victor Wessel Jr. was a long-time employee of the old Coffee's Men's Store in Bakersfield when he decided to join the Army. He was assigned to Company E, 112th Infantr...
The Shafter Youth Center played host to two events last week for families looking for a safe way to celebrate the holiday season. The Shafter Lions Club, in partnership with the Shafter Youth Center, held a "Trunk or Treat" event Oct. 28 with over two dozen cars and trucks decorated in a variety of themes, each giving away candy to trick-or-treaters. The Shafter Police Department had a booth at the event, handing out treats and other fun items for the kids. Members of the Los Generales Car Club...
The driver of a minivan narrowly escaped injury when the vehicle was struck by a train on Tuesday evening. Shafter police received a call at approximately 8 p.m. about a vehicle being struck by a train. According to Shafter Police Sergeant Randy Mulligan, the driver of the vehicle was unfamiliar with the area and got his minivan stuck on the train tracks. "The driver, who was using his navigational system, entered the intersection at Beech Avenue and Highway 43, and turned onto the railroad...
In the 93rd installment of one of the longest and fiercest rivalries in the county, the Shafter Generals held off a late charge by the Wasco Tigers Friday night and won bragging rights for the year with a 28-21 victory. The Generals have now won the "Big Game" two years in a row, with the latest game allowing the Generals to claim a share of the SSL title – an a spot in the Valley playoffs. The Tigers started Friday night on a dominant note when the junior varsity team from Wasco dismantled t...
A football game is a contest made up of four quarters. Unfortunately, on Friday night, the Shafter Generals only showed up for two. Up against the Arvin Bears in the first round of the Division V playoffs, Shafter saw the Bears dominate them in every phase of the game in the first half. After spotting the Generals a two-point safety on their first series, the Bears scored 28 unanswered points. The Generals troubles started on offense, with the hosts unable to sustain a drive because of missed bl...
Shafter Police Chief Kevin Zimmermann gave a presentation on department's history at the Shafter Historical Society's recent annual meeting. Zimmermann, who has been in the position for three years, said that when he first came into the position, he was surprised by the lack of department history available to the public. "I took a trip to the Shafter Depot Museum and was really surprised that it didn't have a section on the police department. There was a badge, I think a patch from the Fire...
The First Southern Baptist Church in Shafter had a big weekend recently when they hosted a nationally known evangelist and also held a Harvest Fair for the community. Evangelist Raul Perez, who came to Shafter for the first time last year, made a return visit and held an evangelistic crusade for three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Perez has a unique story and relates to many because of his background in which he has faced so many challenges on his way to redemption. "Raul is so successful...
Golden Oak Elementary School was the place to be on Friday as they hosted their annual Harvest Carnival. Put on by the Golden Oak PTO, this event is one of the main fundraisers of the year for the school. The campus was decorated with pumpkins, brightly colored gords, and funny ghosts and ghouls, letting the community enjoy the holiday in a safe environment. In addition to PTO members and school staff, there also were different organizations there giving out information and giving the kids...
