Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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A car show was held recently, displaying over 50 cars and trucks, from classic hot rods, to antique cars and trucks, giving the attendees a variety of vehicles to peruse. The event was held in honor of Freeman Nixon, a longtime Shafter resident and car aficionado. Held at Don Mettler's place on Mannel Avenue, the show included a number of cars that have cruised the Shafter streets for over five decades. Ruby Hickman, who has been involved in local car shows for years, was in...
I was so sad recently to hear of the passing of Pastor Jim Neal, of the First Southern Baptist Church, who passed away in late February. Pastor Neal was one of the first pastors I talked to when we were reviving the Pastors Corner section of the Shafter Press. Neal and Pastor Pat Coyle were the stalwarts in the city, never hesitating in sending in a piece when needed, which a lot of the time was pretty often. Pastor Neal sent in so many articles that inspired, touched, and...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their monthly Terrific Kids luncheon, recognizing students who best exemplify traits that describe Terrific Kids in the program specifics. The program promotes character development, self-esteem and perseverance. "Terrific" is an acronym for Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable. Students work with their classroom teachers to establish goals to improve behavior, peer relationships,...
The Richland School District celebrated a championship last week when the Richland Junior High Girls Basketball team finished their season undefeated, winning the championship. This gives them a chance to advance to a tournament held for the other undefeated teams in the county. In other Richland news, Golden Oak students and staff celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss by holding a Dress Up Day, with students going to school dressed as their favorite character or occupation....
The Shafter Young Adult Theater presented the Broadway hit "Newsies" last weekend. The group, led by Director Chad Givens, most of the actors were learning on the job as far as the dancing goes. "Out of the entire company, there were two or three kids who are dancers. The rest of the cast were learning to dance as the production went on," said Givens. Newsies is based on a real story in which a strike took place with a number of newspaper deliverers and sellers, or "newsies,"...
Alicia Pompa, a freshman at Taft College, was recognized as the Player of the Week for the Taft Cougars Softball team last week, after going a combined 5-9 at the plate, while playing a perfect two games at shortstop. The Cougars took two games from visiting Ohlone College. They took game one of a doubleheader by a score of 11-3, and completed the sweep with a 7-3 win in the second game. Taft got 11 hits in the first game. In the game, Pompa had a two run double, ending the...
The Shafter Woman's Club has a tradition of holding an art event during the Shafter Colours Festival, in which entrant set up displays of food, turning those cans into art. Each year, residents make people laugh with clever sayings that go with their canned food displays. This year, with the Shafter Colours Festival not being held once again, the local women decided to move forward with the event, inviting people, businesses and clubs to enter displays. The entries had to be...
The city and GAF will be celebrating the Shafter Learning Center's new expanded area March 16. The ribbon cutting will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the center and everyone is welcome. After the ribbon cutting, attendees will be able to tour the new facilities. The new expansion includes new classrooms, outdoor areas with shade, as well as activity areas which can be used for different projects. Several city dignitaries will be on hand for the ribbon cutting, as well as representati...
Museum curator Stan Wilson will present the second in a series lectures at the Shafter Learning Center on Thursday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. The subject of the lecture will be “The History of Shafter through the Centennial Playing Card” deck. Wilson is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to the history of Shafter and the role the city has played in Kern County’s history. Last month, Wilson presented the history of the life and times of our namesake, General William Shafter....
The city of Shafter is receiving a grant from the state of California that will mean a new life for the Shafter Aquatic Center, as well as improvements to its parks in the city. The Clean California grant, which the city applied for at the end of 2021, will give the city assistance in getting the Shafter Pool back in working order. The pool and Aquatic Center has been uninhabitable for the past two years, with the pool being drained and suffering damage, as well as to the...
Beginning March 11, masks will be recommended but not mandated at the Richland School District. Superintendent Rosa Romero sent a letter to parents regarding the change. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced he was updating the policy for mask wearing indoors for public schools. “Mask wearing is still strongly recommended and is an option for every student or staff member who wishes to wear one at any time,” Romero said in the letter. She said masks will be available for staff and students who request them. Romero also sai...
Shafter High's baseball team is off to a great start this season, making them one of the favorites in the SSL this season. With victories already this season over West High School, Foothill High, and South High, the Generals come into a tournament at Wasco beginning on Wednesday afternoon with momentum. Shafter has used some great pitching, which has held their opponents under two runs except for a loss to powerhouse Porterville and against a tough Arvin Bear squad. The...
Richland Junior High is celebrating the selection of three Trojan students who have been recognized for their musicianship. Two of the students have been selected to the Kern County Honor Band. Emely Faith Chavez and Rodrigo Mondragon were selected to perform with the ensemble at the Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield on March 1. They were performing in the Kern County Honor Music Festival, an annual event that displays the county's musicians and singers. The best students...
Steve Wilson, 53, of Shafter, died when his helicopter crashed in orchards in the Coalinga area. At around 3 a.m. last Tuesday night, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office received a call from American West Aviation, a crop dusting company, about a missing pilot of one of their helicopters. Deputies responded to the area known as Five Points, in the Coalinga area near Harris Ranch to conduct a search. At the same time, the California Highway Patrol and the company sent out...
The city was successfully awarded a Clean California grant for almost $5 million with part of the money earmarked for repairing the Shafter Aquatic Center, Public Works Director Michael James reported to the City Council. Included in the projects earmarked for this money is the improvements needed to get the Shafter Aquatic Center open, possibly as early as the beginning of next year. In other news, the city also received over $130,000 in monies from KernCOG in their Clean Air project programs. At its recent meeting, the...
The GROW Academy of Shafter has continued to grow its student population, as well as its progress in the classroom. The GROW Academy was one of the first schools in the area to return to in-person teaching during the pandemic, with a majority of the students preferring to return to the classroom, instead of the distance learning option. According to Principal Brooke Webb, this decision was a good one for the students and staff as well. "There is really no replacement for...
The Shafter High Lady Generals basketball team ended its season with a loss to the Tehachapi Warriors. The 9th ranked Lady Generals dropped the contest 62-54. Shafter gave a great effort, but couldn't match the Warriors size in the middle, with Tehachapi getting several easy buckets during the game. Shafter closed out their SSL season with a 6-3 record and a 15-9 overall record. The Lady Generals got two league wins against rivals Wasco about a week ago, with a 55-40 win and...
The Shafter Young Adult Theater is putting on a production of the Broadway hit "Newsies", which will be held at the Shafter Ford Theater from March 3-6, and March 11 and 13. The curtain will go up on March 3-5 at 7 p.m. On Sunday March 6, the show will be starting at 4 p.m. There will also be performances on March 11 and 13, beginning at 7 p.m. on March 11 and 4 p.m. on March 13. Led by Director Chad Givens, the production is based on the original production by Disney, which...
Even as you enter the LaCarne Meat Market, grabbing the handles made from meat cleavers, you know you are in for a different experience. The meat market opened this past August. Owner Hugo Garcia said one difference in his market is the high quality of meat that they provide to customers. "Our meat is graded, and we use only Choice and Prime cuts of meat," said Garcia. Garcia also said this place is something that Shafter has needed for a long time, letting the residents...
Keep Kern Beautiful is hosting an event on April 23 for all Kern County residents to help clean up the area. The event is to recognize the Great American Clean up on April 30. The national event is the country’s largest community improvement program and takes place annually in over 15,000 communities nationwide. Lynnda Martin, from American Refuse in Wasco, said there are a couple of big events coming up in the near future that can help the county keep its environment l...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club hosted local author Barry Bongberg recently, as he told the attendees of his experience writing his book, "Letters to Mom and Dad from Vietnam." Bongberg also told of his experiences when he returned home from Vietnam after serving bravely for his country. "Dear Mom and Dad- Letters from Vietnam" is the end result of a series of letters that Bongberg wrote to his parents while he was overseas in Vietnam between 1967 and 1969. "I didn't even want to...
The Richland School District celebrated Kindness Week, with students and staff displaying their ability to show kindness to one another, as well as showing that they care for each other. At Redwood Elementary School, Kindness Week began by passing out Kindness Matters cards and a Kick Off Lunch with food and music. Staff and students danced in the playground area and also took a pledge to be kind to one another. They had Dress Up Days to promote kindness. The Kindness Squad sp...
The case against former city code enforcement officer Matthew Maldonado has been continued until April 14 for a pre-trial conference hearing. According to court records, Maldonado appeared in court Feb. 15, but did not enter a plea. He was originally scheduled to appear Feb. 9, but that was postponed to Feb. 15. He is being represented by attorney Kyle Humphrey. Humphrey has been in private practice for over 10 years after serving several years in the Prosecutor’s Office. Maldonado is accused of five counts of a...
The Shafter High Lady Generals basketball team continued their season with a chance to capture a title as they begin their playoff season. Shafter closed out their SSL season with a 6-3 record and a 15-9 overall record. The Lady Generals got two league wins against rivals Wasco about a week ago, with a 55-40 win and a 62-31 blowout of the Lady Tigers. Leading the way for the Lady Generals were senior Natalie Herrera with 14 points, Heide Lindsey with 10, and freshman Eliyah...
The City Council recognized Minter Field as they celebrated their 80th year anniversary. Minter Field marked the milestone with an event recognizing the 80 years since the site was dedicated. On Saturday, Feb.7, 2942, the Air Field at Minter Field was dedicated to Hugh Minter, with the base being focal point of the war effort in Kern County in the early 1940s. Minter Field was one of the busiest training bases in the country, with a good portion of the pilots being used in...
