Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 1426 - 1450 of 1616
It has been five years since a group of local physicians and administrators decided to form a corporation that would give the residents of Shafter, Wasco and the surrounding communities a personalized option for their healthcare needs. Vanguard Medical Corp. is owned by Dr. Chan Park, and it has a staff of local doctors who have gathered together to give the local residents a unique service in which they are cared for by a company that offers a variety of services in a close knit family...
The Shafter Stingrays continued the competition season with a strong performance at the recent Lakeside meet, held at Garces High School on Saturday. With a total of 23 swimmers competing in 69 events, the Stingrays came home with several top ten finishes. Shafter's teams is composed of swimmers of different skill levels and are from ages 7 to 16 years old. The team was led by Sydnee Macias and Josephine Martin on the girls' side and Sean O'Neil, David Serrano, Parker and Landon Valderrama on...
The resignation of Superintendent of Richland School District's Dago Garcia will take effect on June 30, and Richland Junior High Principal Rosa Romero has been named interim superintendent, according to Deanna Rodriguez-Root, president of the district's Board of Trustees. Garcia emailed his resignation on Wednesday, June 12, stating that he would no longer be superintendent as of June 30, 2019. Rodriguez-Root said at the time that "Dr. Garcia has decided to move on and will no longer be...
In one of the few unanimous votes of the night, the Shafter City Council voted 5-0 to all Police Department vehicles with a decal reading "In God We Trust." Just as with the last council meeting, a large crowd turned out to speak on the issue. Shafter Christian Fellowship Pastor Justin Medlock asked the council "to have the courage to vote for what they know is right." As he did the previous week, 10-year Shafter resident Estevan Martinez spoke out against the agenda item, saying, "I don't need...
The Shafter Boxing Club, headed up by Coach Mike Ayon, have been in need of a van for quite awhile now. They have traveled almost every weekend to different locales throughout the state. They also compete in tournaments across the United States, including Nevada, Kansas, West Virginia and Missouri. Enter Rick Woody of Peters Funeral Home. Woody contacted Ayon and asked if they would be interested in having a van that the funeral home didn't need any more. Ayon said that they would be happy to...
These are some of the topics covered last week in the Shafter Youth Center's Safety Week. The FBI was investigating the scene when they heard of the great kids on site. Kids learned about what the FBI does and how they work locally on special cases. Agents shared their knowledge and demonstrated equipment used on the job. The American Red Cross stopped in to make sure that kids are ready in case of emergency. The Pillow Case Project was presented, and the kids were ready to take on the challenge...
Westside Family Fellowship invited the children of Shafter and Wasco to unite in the search for God's love on the safari of a lifetime. ROAR VBS takes the children into the jungles around the world, meeting colorful characters as they learn about the power of God's love every day. Director Olivia Miller said that there will be different lessons learned every day as they go on the hunt for that ferocious love of God. Children from kindergarten through sixth grade went through different stations t...
At one time, Shafter had three movie theaters. The first theater was actually a four-walled structure that had no roof. It was aptly named the Shafter Air Dome. Stan Wilson, of the Shafter Historical Society, gave a presentation before an overflow crowd at the Shafter Library Tuesday night about the history of this and the other theaters in town, as well as how the community has been portrayed over the years in film. The Air Dome was a big draw and was opened in 1936 by George Moore. The...
The Shafter Rotary Club hosted a couple of stewards of the Little Free Libraries here in Shafter. Katie Wiebe and Melissa Bergen spoke at a recent Rotary meeting telling the members of the importance of the libraries and the contributions that the project has made in its brief history. Wiebe has had a library at her residence for several years, and one amusing story that was uplifting was published in the Shafter Press not long ago. Wiebe told the gathering that a small boy had been locked out...
You know the old saying, "Is there a doctor in the house?" Well, on Kern Street in Shafter, there is a doctor in the house who has been serving the city for almost 40 years and is still going strong. Dr. Jae Kim put up his shingle in Shafter in 1982 and has treated residents of the city for what ails it since. Dr. Kim graduated from medical school in Taiwan and settled in Pennsylvania when he came to the United States. Thinking of where to take his family on vacation one year, he decided on...
A grisly discovery was made by a farm worker last week at Westside Farms. A body was discovered in a silo in which a worker was trying to withdraw gypsum at the business, off of Zerker Road just south of Lerdo Highway. Fearing that an auger that pulls out the product was clogged, the worker investigating the source of the blockage found that that he had found a human body. The gender was not known at this time, but has since been determined to be a man. As of Wednesday night, his identity had no...
Shafter's Ford Theater was packed on Saturday night when American Top Ten Finalist Colton Dixon performed, singing a number of his hits that put his album at the top of the Christian music charts. Dixon ended in seventh place in season 11 of the nationally televised talent show. Judge Steven Tyler thought that Dixon was one of the favorites to win the competition and was surprised when Dixon was eliminated in the show's Top Ten show. Dixon performed his hit, "Never Gone," which won him acclaim...
The city of Shafter is rich in history, as seen at the city's museums -- the Depot Museum, the Green Hotel and the Minter Field Air Museum. The Shafter Police Department has a rich history, too, but until recently, that history has been just for those who lived through it, or happened to know someone that was involved in the department over the years. A couple of years ago, incoming Police Chief Kevin Zimmermann thought that with the rich history that Shafter has, it would be great to have a rec...
The children who attend the Shafter Youth Center Summer Program were treated to a free history lesson as part of their curriculum last week as they held "Shafter Week". According to Director Angie Nelson, the week was full of visitors who gave the kids valuable information about the history of the city, as well as displays on how the city is run today. A visit from the Green Hotel's Susan Shaffner was up first as she told the kids some of the history of the hotel and how it came to be included i...
The Westside Family Fellowship will be taking kids on a safari that will let them explore the jungles of Africa, without leaving the county. Roar VBS 2019 takes the children on an adventure that engages the whole herd. At Roar, kids explore God's goodness and celebrate a ferocious faith that powers them through this wild life. Children in Shafter and Wasco are encouraged by the church to join the trek to find God's love and the ferocious power that it gives for all who want it. Attendees will...
More than 300 pet owners took advantage of Shafter Animal Control's annual Low Cost Vaccination and Licensing Clinic at Mannel Park last month. Nick Riddick, animal control officer for the city, said the event helps the city, as well as the pet owners. "This opportunity allows pet owners to keep their animals healthy." This year, Shafter Animal Control partnered with Critters Without Litters to provide a large array of vaccines and microchipping for both dogs and cats. Every Shafter city residen...
The Shafter Stingrays Swim Club played host on Saturday, holding a Kern County Swim meet that attracted teams from all over Kern County. There were a total of over 100 events, with over 500 swimmers competing. The Stingrays had top 10 finishes in several events, improving on their performance in the first meet of the season in Wasco. Leading the way for the Stingrays were the performances of Annemarie Piuser, David Serrano, Sydnee Macias, Malachi DeWitt and Josephine Martin. Piuser followed her...
Shafter High School celebrated their outstanding seniors by giving out over $1.1 million in scholarship and award monies on last month at the Seniors Awards Night at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School. Principal Russell Shipley welcomed parents, students, friends and family to the event and informed those in attendance that there were 300 awards being given out to 114 different students. There were a number of local clubs and businesses who sponsored awards and...
As the Shafter High Band played "Pomp and Circumstances" Wednesday night, 347 seniors, led by honorary flower girls, paraded across the stage to collect their diplomas. Principal Russell Shipley gave each graduate his or her diploma, ending their high school careers and sending them on to the next segment of their lives. Senior Class President Juan Espinoza welcomed the parents, friends and family to the proceedings and gave the first speech of the evening. Espinoza thanked his fellow students,...
The Shafter Press has learned that Richland School District Superintendent Dr. Dago Garcia has emailed his resignation to the Board of Trustees, saying that he is resigning effective June 30. The email was sent on Wednesday.. When contacted by phone, Board of Trustees President Deanna Rodriguez-Root said, "Dr. Garcia has decided to move on. His resignation is effective as of June 30, 2019." The district office was contacted and confirmed that Garcia would be superintendent until June 30. Rodrigu...
A grisly discovery was made by a farm worker on Wednesday at Westside Farms. The business is located off of Zerker Road just south of Lerdo Highway. The body of a man was discovered in a silo in which a worker was trying to withdraw gypsum. Fearing that an auger that pulls out the product was clogged, the worker investigating the source of the blockage found that that it was a human body. Shafter Police officers responded to a call describing something suspicious inside the silo at...
Some 299 eighth-graders bid farewell to Richland Junior High School Thursday night and got a rousing welcome at Shafter High School, on whose football field they received their diplomas. Richland Junior High Principal Rosa Romero welcomed the attendees, who included parents, faculty, students and friends. The master and mistress of ceremonies were Adan Vargas and Paula Obeso Gallegos, a.k.a. Tommy and Tammy Trojan. The latter introduced one of the two salutatorians, Charlotte Franz, while...
In a City Council meeting that saw only two items on the agenda, the public comment portion of the meeting dominated the action with a packed house of citizens eager to voice their opinions. The majority of the discussion was on the recent proposal that would emblazon all Shafter Police Department vehicles with a decal reading "In God We Trust." Pastor Justin Medlock of the Shafter Christian Fellowship Church proposed the idea of the decals. Medlock spoke about the need for the decals, similar...
The Wonderful Company, one of the largest growers of nuts in the world, as well as the nation's largest citrus grower, is giving back to the local communities that it serves. Several groups of Wonderful Company employees were in Shafter working to beautify the city this past Tuesday morning as part of the company's Give Back Project. About 20 employees were hoeing weeds, raking and picking up trash in the area surrounding the Babe Ruth park in back of the AM/PM store. There was also a group of...
Three Shafter High seniors signed letters of intent recently at a ceremony in the Shafter High Library, marking the next step in their educational and athletic careers. Tom Richardson, Isaac Enriquez and Julia Pitter made their collegiate commitments official on last month, cementing their futures for the next four years. Enriquez signed with Bethel College in Kansas. Enriquez was a standout wide receiver for the history-making Shafter Generals football team who dominated their opponents this la...
