Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Veronica Carmona, of McFarland, was working at the Boot Barn in Bakersfield. With the virus making the job market uncertain, a lot of people have had to find ways to support themselves and make ends meet. Carmona, who enjoyed working at the store, especially selling the different kinds of western jewelry offered, has found a way to thrive. Carmona now sells western jewelry at various events throughout Kern County, being her own boss. "I love western jewelry and working with my family. This has b...
After your Christmas tree has lost its luster, county residents have options to dispose of their tree. Christmas trees can be composted by cutting up the tree and using a compost pile. Make sure before putting the tree in your compost pile that it is free of flocking or other contaminants. The other option is to drop off your tree at the landfill before it becomes a hazard and fire risk. There are 24 locations in Kern County in which you can drop off your tree. One of them is our Shafter/Wasco...
Gilbert Alvarado, Chad Givens and Pete Espinoza were sworn into the City Council at its recent meeting. Council member Espinoza took his seat on the council, replacing outgoing council member Manuel Garcia. The next matter at hand was the selection of the position of mayor. Alvarado nominated Cesar Lopez. Givens nominated Cathy Prout. After taking a vote for the mayor’s position, Prout was unanimously selected as mayor for the next two years. Givens was selected as mayor pro-tem with a u...
The city has seen its confirmed cases of covid-19 increase despite a mask covering campaign and safety guidelines in place. Last week there were 133 confirmed cases in Shafter, bringing the total confirmed cases in Shafter to 1,832. City officials say that the most important thing is the health and safety of its citizens and they are encouraging everyone to do their part in keeping all of its residents safe. This means adhering to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order, which instructs all C...
The city has received over $96,000 in Community Block Development grant funds from the Kern County Board of Supervisors to use toward covid-19 public service and facilities improvements. The project consists of personal protective equipment, sanitizing equipment, public outreach, and other measurements to provide prevention from the covid-19 virus for frontline Public Works employees and the community at large. Covid-19 response activities include new office and warehouse air filtration...
Due to the pandemic, the community is facing a holiday season filled with uncertainty and caution. Thanks to the community spirit alive and well in the city, this holiday season will still be merry and bright. Headed up by Margaret Ramirez, Shafter Healthy Start has its hands in several events this holiday season. One event is the Hams to the Needy event that will take place on Dec. 17. A number of hams were purchased with funds donated by Bank of the Sierra. In addition to the hams, Ramirez...
It came as no shock last week when it was announced that the annual Shafter Christmas Store had been canceled, but it was still a disappointing one for many families who had shopped online for their children in the program that allows families to buy toys for their children at discounts. This program was started a few years ago by a group of volunteers, giving families the satisfaction of buying their own presents for their kids. Toys are donated by local businesses and people, with select...
Over 50 families received an early Christmas present as they were given a box full of food. The Shafter Kiwanis Club organized the event and were assisted by volunteers and other organizations that came together to help the community. Phillip Jimenez, district manager of the Shafter Recreation and Park District, and his crew helped prepare the boxes. The boxes contained beans, rice, canned goods, as well as potatoes and other items going toward a holiday meal and helping the families through...
Harvey Havins was a young soldier from North Shafter, one of three brothers who were serving in the United States Military. On that fateful day in 1941, Havins was serving aboard the U.S.S. Arizona when it was hit by eight armor-piercing bombs, which sunk the Arizona, trapping over 1,100 soldiers with it under the Pacific Ocean, which is still visible to this day at Pearl Harbor. It is believed that Havins was the first Kern County soldier killed in the World War II conflict. On Friday Dec. 4,...
In comparison to similar cities in Kern County and the state, the city is a little ahead of the curve when it comes to mid-year report cards financially, according to Business Development Director Bob Meadows. Meadows was featured on a local radio show recently, where he told the listeners how the city is fairing better than the majority of cities in Kern County. "We have done a good job in the past in saving funds and preparing for a rainy day, and we are storming right now," he said. The...
During this current pandemic, it is a challenging time for residents to make it feel like the holiday season. For the seniors here in Shafter, there is a group of volunteers that care enough to give them a holiday season to remember, no matter the circumstances. Headed up by the ladies at the Shafter Women's Club, a contingent of residents gathered at the Valley Bible Church recently and put together a bunch of gift baskets that is distributed to the Carrington House in Shafter, Shafter's Golden...
Santa Claus helped bring some cheer to children this past weekend as he touched down at the Minter Field Air Museum. Although the pandemic has been tough on children, with no in-person school memories or vacations planned, the event at Minter Field brought out smiles and laughter. Along with Mrs. Claus and elves, the children received stuffed animals courtesy of Petsmart in Bakersfield. The group gave out over 600 of the toys. Over 200 vehicles participated in the event. The annual event...
Gilbert Alvarado, Chad Givens and Pete Espinoza won seats on the City Council after the count was completed. Newcomer Espinoza was the top candidate with over 20% of the vote with incumbents Givens and Alvarado coming in second and third. This is after the Kern County Elections Office announced the official final results for the local races. Kris Lawrence, who was in the third spot after election night, saw that lead disappear as the counting continued and Alvarado overtook Lawrence and Givens...
The Shafter City Council tabled a discussion in how the way the Mayor of Shafter is selected. Currently, the selection of mayor is done by a majority vote. Mayor Gilbert Alvarado proposed this should be done on a rotating basis instead of by a majority vote. He cited that other cities in the county select their mayor in a similar manner, with the council members taking a turn to serve as mayor. Councilmember Manuel Garcia agreed with proposing a discussion to change the procedure. Councilmember...
This holiday season has been difficult for many families dealing not only with the pandemic, but with job loss, businesses closing, and social distancing restrictions. During these times, the community has risen to the challenge to help support neighbors and unite the city. Facing a Thanksgiving that was void of the usual holiday events, residents had to find ways to celebrate the holiday. An example of Thanksgiving spirit was the event held at the Shafter Recreation Department in which 100...
The Minter Field Air Museum will be hosting a special visitor on Saturday, Dec. 5 as Santa Claus will be touching down at 11 a.m. to visit with local families and hand out some presents for the children. The museum hosts this event every year, giving the kids a chance to see Santa and receive a gift from him and his helpers. Unfortunately this year, due to the safety guidelines in place, it will be a drive-by event. Families can park at the museum lot as Santa touches down. They will stay in...
In a very tight Shafter City Council race, Mayor Gilbert Alvarado has once again passed Kris Lawrence and Chad Givens to have the second most votes in the election for the three open seats. Last week, results said that Givens and Lawrence had overtaken Alvarado by under 50 votes. As of Nov. 20, Alvarado has 17.5% the vote, with 2,088 votes. Givens is third with 2,068 votes and Lawrence is on the outside looking in at the moment with 2,033 votes. Council member Manuel Garcia is well off the pace...
The Recreation and Parks District gave 100 Shafter families a reason to smile this holiday season through its Thanksgiving Dinner Giveaway. On Nov. 19, cars filed into the parking lot next to the Recreation office to pick up their meals. Volunteers and sponsors included Shafter Kiwanis, Shafter Rotary Club, Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church, Champs, Miramar International, Shafter Women's Club, Shafter Lions Club and the Shafter Commanders. Representatives from each organization were stationed...
Over 200 residents took advantage of a free flu shot and covid-19 testing clinic recently, allowing them to get both tasks done. The number of confirmed cases is on the rise, despite the Wear to Care campaign, urging residents to don masks whenever out in public. The clinic, held by the Kern County Latino Covid-19 Task Force, was on Nov. 12 at the Shafter Aquatic Center. Dignity Health administered the flu shot clinic. Dignity Health's Nora Garza, a health screening specialist, said that the...
Over 200 people flocked to the Tin Cup last Saturday for dozens of vendors set up selling their wares. Tin Cup manager Shakira Willis organized the Creations and Coffee event so the community could shop for a wide variety of items in one place including jewelry, food, clothing and more. Willis organized the event because of the challenge during the pandemic to find shops that are open and have the items they need. The attendees were also treated to music by the Charlie Zanne Band as they...
A teacher at Grimmway Academy in Shafter has tested positive for the coronavirus and is being asked to quarantine. The school had opened a week ago for a hybrid in-person session, with students attending school in-person for two days a week and distance learning the rest of the week. According to Casey Yeazel, chief executive officer of Grimmway Schools, the school learned on Friday of the positive test. He said at this time, none of the other staff, or any of the teacher’s students have t...
The City Council races in Shafter and Wasco are still up for grabs, over two weeks after Election Day. In Shafter, three seats are available and have four candidates still within 3.5 percentage points of each other. In the latest update, Kris Lawrence had overtaken Mayor Gilbert Alvarado for the third council seat. Last week, Alvarado had passed Lawrence and Chad Givens to hold the second position, after being in fourth place at the end of election night. With a number of votes still uncounted,...
After finding a video about the art of wood burning, Alyssa Ramirez was hooked. Ramirez, who lives near Buttonwillow and attended Shafter schools, was fascinated by the video of a man using a wood burning instrument to create works or art. She bought her first kit containing basic tools and she got to work. "I really took to it, and soon afterward I bought a more advanced tool to do more things with and it just took off from there," she said. She soon figured out she could establish a business...
The City Council appointed three new members to the Planning Commission for a term beginning in January and also began its search for a new planning director. There was a pool of eight candidates that submitted interest in the positions, with the three top receiving the seats. Peter Franz, John Sanchez and Gus Olvera were chosen to serve a term. The positions are four-year terms with a stipend of $50 monthly, with meetings being held the second Tuesday of each month. The council opted to use a...
With the pandemic still in the forefront of the community's minds, there has been a surge of home-based businesses to help supplement people's incomes. These businesses help replace lost income due to layoffs or a reduction of hours. Pop-up events have become popular in the community, with a host of different businesses offering their homemade baked goods, clothing, jewelry and accessories at events held in a parking lot, at a church, or at someone's home. Last weekend, Adriana Pompa, operator...
