Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Kern County is full of a variety of animals, be them on four legs, eight legs, or even no legs at all, with a good many of them found throughout the area. Representatives from the Wind Wolves Preserve, located in Eastern Kern County, visited the library, teaching the children about the many varieties and species of animals that can be found right in our own backyard. Wind Wolves Preserve is in an ecologically unique region where the Transverse Ranges, Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, western Mojave...
The Shafter City Council honored members of the Salvation Training Ground girls 11u basketball team that traveled to San Diego in mid-July to compete in the California State Games. The team went undefeated and brought home the State Championship trophy. This team has been practicing and playing in tournaments throughout the year and have taken away three first place trophies. The team, coached by Fabian Jimenez, Angel Acosta and Mike Watts, have been playing together since the second and third...
The Bakersfield Republican Women, Federated, made a donation of value-rich books to the Shafter Library last Thursday. Linda Kissack-Watkins and President Annette Londquist visited the library and gave the large collection of books to Samantha Saldana, Shafter's librarian. "We usually give the books to a school, but this year, we heard about the challenges that the city of Shafter and its library went through, and we had to give the books to them," said Kissack-Watkins. "I think it is so...
ABOVE: The Rising Starrhs opened the show. RIGHT: Maggie and Hudson O'Brien are a part of the Rising Starrhs. BELOW: Emma Gonzalez and Micah Neufeld as the Mayor and JoJo....
The Shafter Recreation and Parks District has been busy this summer with a variety of programs, whether if you are 8 years old or 80. The Rec has just finished their summer baseball season, crowning champions in several divisions. Next up for the district is their fall baseball and softball seasons, with over 20 players signed up to participate so far. For the seniors in the community, the district offers Zumba classes to keep them active, as well as other exercise classes. Senior Fitness takes...
I had the privilege of covering the Childrens Summer Theater production of “Seussical” over the weekend. It was a great show, and the kids did such a great job with it. It reminded me of a few years ago when I covered Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who” at Shafter High School. It really hit me in a way that I didn’t expect. I ended up writing an editorial about it a couple of weeks afterward. Unfortunately, the sentiment still seems the same today, as it was a few years ago. The play is about an...
The Shafter City Council approved a portion of the James Street project that will see the Regional Transit Bus Stop relocated from the corner of the City Hall location to Stringham Park, right off of James Street. The project is made possible by cooperation between the City of Shafter and the Kern County Public Works Department. Shafter Public Works Director Michael James said that the project is part of the approved 2022/2023 budget, which earmarked monies for the project. Although...
There are going to be two open City Council seats at the end of the year, with elections in November. Mayor Cathy Prout and Councilmember Cesar Lopez's terms are expiring in December. Each of the longterm council members has said they will run for re-election. Anyone who wants to run for one of the seats must be a US citizen, must be 18 years of age or older, and be a registered voter in the city at the time nomination papers are issued. The City Council serves as the legislative and...
The Shafter Police Department welcomed a new addition recently, with the swearing-in of Officer Mallory Serjeant. Serjeant has over 10 years experience in law enforcement, starting her career as a detentions deputy with the Kern County Sheriff's Department. Officer Serjeant was officially welcomed by the City Council at a recent meeting. She was thanked by council members, as well as Police Chief Kevin Zimmerman. Serjeant was hired on July 11. She rose in rank to a detentions sergeant for the...
A Wasco man is under investigation after being involved in a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a 1-year-old child and the injury of five others. Irving Rodriguez-Barraza was reportedly driving a Dodge Ram eastbound on Burbank Street when it collided with a Jeep Cherokee driven by Bakersfield resident Jesus Tejada Sanchez, 29. Rodriguez-Barraza had a passenger with him, Cruz Carrillo Olvera, 48, of Wasco. Sanchez had an adult passenger, Joanne Figueroa, 34, and two children, 1 and 4...
The Tin Cup in Shafter recently unveiled its new menu, with the addition of a few new items, keeping up with trends, while staying true to its roots that made them one of the go-to places in town. The eatery is offering a variety of wraps, along with a few new drink options, with a handful of refreshers now on the menu. With the summer heat, these "refreshing" options hit the spot. Over the last few years,, the Tin Cup has added acai bowls, with its super oxidant qualities, giving the local dine...
The City Council recognized Captain Jeff Bell of the Shafter Police Department for his 23 years of service Tuesday evening. Bell retired recently, starting a new chapter in his life and career. Bell began with the city 23 years ago, after serving as a law enforcement officer in the Los Angeles County area, where he was involved in tactical teams during the Rodney King riots and the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Bell became the first Shafter police officer to attend the FBI Academy. He also...
A team of Shafter girls traveled to San Diego over the weekend to compete in the California State Games, coming back with a State Championship in the Girls 11 and under Basketball Division. The team, Salvation Training Ground, was coached by Fabian Jimenez and Mike Watts, have played together for the past three years, with a couple of the team members coached by Jimenez since they were 4 and 5 years old. The season begins in late March, with the season culminating in the middle of July. The...
The Shafter Children's Summer Theater will be bringing their production of "Seussical" to the Shafter Ford Theater July 29-31, with performances beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. on Sunday. This year's production, a smash hit on Broadway,is based on the works of Theodore Geissl, Dr. Seuss. The story brings back popular Seuss characters, including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, and JoJo, a little Who child. Other characters include Gertrude McFuzz and Lazy Mayzie....
The city and its trash collection vendor, American Refuse, held two workshops over the weekend geared to inform residents and answer questions about the upcoming change in trash collection schedules and procedures. With the enforcement of new state requirements to reduce organic waste, the city has contracted with American Refuse to take over residential solid waste collection. "Essentially, the city of Shafter is out of the trash collection business," said Public Works Michael James at a recent...
The new restaurant in town, Tacos La Villa, has enjoyed a great start, with lines in the drive-thru and a brisk business in the store, making their first couple of months a success. Owner Danny Nunez has brought unique fare to the city. "We are truly blessed for the opportunity to bring our authentic brand of Mexican food to Shafter," Nunez said this week. Begun in 1993, Tacos La Villa has grown to include nine locations in Bakersfield, and growing. Reviewers have noted that the food at the...
There has been a trend in the last 10 or 15 years of Little Libraries dotting the landscape, making books available for those who may not be able to get to the library, or don't have the means to buy books of their own. Little Libraries are abundant in Shafter, with numerous street corners housing a collection of books, inviting anyone who wants something to read to take a book and either replace it with another book, or return the book when you are finished. The libraries in Shafter have...
Even though school is out for the summer, that does not mean that learning is put on the back burner. The Shafter Learning Center is in full swing, offering a variety of classes that will keep kids learning as well as having fun throughout the summer. The classes run for one week, with a total of seven sessions running through July 29. The Learning Center has classes for all age groups, ranging from Pre-K students through those in the eighth grade. Pre-K students have the option of taking...
The Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church held their annual Summer Wrestling Camp this week, teaching campers how to build a solid foundation, on the mat and off. Pastor Pat Coyle, a former competitive wrestler, led the kids in a variety of drills, exercises and practice sessions, giving them the knowledge of basic techniques wrapped in encouraging words. The theme for this year's camp was "Solid as Stone," referring to God's counsel in Isaiah 28:16, [BEGIN ITAL]"See, I lay a foundation stone. It...
The members of the Shafter fire station lost a compatriot from Fire Station 23 in Fellows when it was announced that Fire Captain Brian Falk passed away suddenly on Thursday July 14. Department team members were in a procession that escorted Falk from Fellows into Bakersfield to Kern Medical Center. The procession included a helicopter, as well as engines from all over Kern County. Falk leaves behind a wife and two young sons. The processional is a tradition with fallen firefighters. "When you a...
A new park at Gossamer Grove pays homage to Shafter's farming roots. Farm Park was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month, with residents getting to check out the new facilities, including a ball court, a dog park and a landscape that resembles a farm. It is replete with rows of plants resembling rows of crops, with farm equipment displayed on the site, giving kids an up-close look at a farming landscape. The 3.25-acre park was designed by WSLA, in collaboration with landscape...
Two workshops are set to discuss the new three-cart trash collection system that is being implemented later this month in the city of Shafter. The do’s and don’ts of the system will be reviewed, with representatives from American Refuse on hand to answer any questions. The first will be Thursday, July 15, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.at Mannel Park and another workshop on Saturday, July 16, at Veterans Park, from 9 to 10 a.m. The change also includes the elimination of alley service in the city at the end of the month, with all trash pick-up ser...
The Wasco Rose Festival is back and set for Sept. 10. The theme for this year is the Wizard of Oz's "No Place Like Home," symbolizing the festival's return to the weekend after Labor Day. "This will be a great event, as we get over covid. People are ready to spread their wings again and get back to normalcy," said Rose Festival committee member Juan Gallardo. "It is a good way to enjoy the day and will be an amazing time. It truly is a tradition the community loves and a highlight of their year...
Hall Ambulance has an open recruitment period going for their next EMT academy, which begins on Sept. 20. The Academy prepares individuals in under 10 weeks to start working in the Hall Ambulance 9-1-1 system as an emergency medical technician. An EMT works on the front line of emergency medical services as a first responder, attending to patients and providing safe transport to the hospital. The academy has training from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Harvey L. Hall EMS Academy,...
A 1941 Harley Davidson motorcycle that was regular sight around the Minter Field Airport in the 1940s has come home, thanks to the owner's daughter, who donated the cycle to the Minter Field Air Museum. A ceremony was held on Monday, July 4, which is Vincent Anslinger's birthday. Anslinger was stationed at Minter Field beginning in December 1941, as part of the Army Reserves. Anslinger's daughter Arlene contacted the Minter Field Air Museum recently wanting to donate her dad's Harley to the...
