Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Shafter Police veteran officer Eric Diaz has been named the department's new community service officer. The City Council approved a resolution a few months ago to add the new position. He has five years experience with the department and is eager to begin this new venture into the community, making the connection between the Shafter Police Department and the community at large stronger. Chief Kevin Zimmermann believes that Diaz is uniquely qualified for this position because...
Gilroy's city administrator is the City Council's selection as the next Shafter city manager. The 4-1 vote Tuesday night ended a four-month search after the controversial resignation of Scott Hurlbert. Gabriel Gonzalez has 15 years of experience in the city manager role for three other cities, including Arvin and Mendota, and is excited to come to Shafter. "Even when I was in Arvin, when John Guinn was the city manager for Shafter, I could tell that the city was growing and...
Kern County Superintendent of Schools Mary Barlow announced that all public schools in Kern County will be closed beginning Wednesday, March 18, following recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Kern County Public Health Department. Shafter High Shafter High Principal Russell Shipley said that the move makes sense and is the best action to keep our students and staff safe and healthy. "This is something that we have never had to deal with before, but...
The risk of exposure to the coronavirus, or Covid-19, has closed the vast majority of schools, offices and businesses in town. The Kern County Superintendent of Schools Mary C. Barlow released a statement saying that they were following the recommendations of the Kern County Office of Public Health and are recommending the temporary closures of all county schools as officials continue to step up the fight against the spread of the disease. This applies to all public schools,...
The annual Distinguished Young Woman competition is nearing, with Shafter ready to name a new representative that will compete at the state competition in Bakersfield in July. Kristen McGuire will present her title to the new winner on Friday, March 20, at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School. This year, the program has 14 participants looking to grab the title. The Distinguished Young Woman program, originally the Junior Miss program, is the oldest...
Amanda Kirschenmann was wanting something to do about three years ago, recently relocating from the Santa Cruz area with her husband, Elliot. She noticed that there was some ground at her place and wanted to plant something in it. She read an article about sweet peas and thought, "I would love to do that!" She researched a bit and that first year was a "learn on the job" experience. She ended up with some beautiful flowers, and she decided that it was something that she would...
Captain Diana Burnett of the Shafter Police Department was honored by the Kern Council of Governments with this year's Richard A. Maxwell Public Safety Award. Burnett has been with the Shafter Police Department for over 27 years and has blazed the way for women in the department with a host of firsst to her credit. The Kern Council of Governments recently held their annual regional awards event at the Seven Oaks Country Club in Bakersfield. Burnett was the first Shafter Police...
Hitchcock's has been serving the residents of Shafter and all of Kern County for over 96 years, and according to owner Jesse Escobedo, the business is going strong and will have no problem getting to its centennial celebraton. "Business is really good right now," Escobedo said recently. In addition to his loyal customers, there's plenty of individuals who saw their grandparents shop in Hitchcock's through the years. "Yeah, it seems funny when I have a customer who will tell...
For those who were wondering about the heavy police presence on Saturday in Shafter, it was due to a probation compliance check on local probationers and parolees. The operation was a result of a concerted effort between over 50 officers and deputies from seven different law enforcement agencies in Kern County. In addition to the Shafter Police Department, there were officers from the Ridgecrest Police Department, Kern County Sheriff's Department, Delano Police Department,...
The Shafter City Council approved $15,000 to have a security company patrol the city’s parks at night. Concerns had been raised recently about the traffic that has been seen in the local parks, especially in the restrooms. There have been reports of illegal activity going on as well as people staying in the restrooms overnight. Public Works Director Michael James said that the job of locking up the bathrooms at night, which close at 10 p.m., had been bounced about through the...
The Shafter High Lady Generals softball team opened their season with a tournament championship on their own turf, defeating the Chavez Titans in the Shafter Slugfest's title game, 8-3. The tournament, held Wednesday through Saturday last week, attracted eight teams divided into two pools, playing a round-robin system, with each team facing the other three teams in their pool. The top team in each pool played for the championship. The Lady Generals were joined in their pool by...
The Shafter Symphony, led by conductor Stephen Penner, performed for audiences throughout the weekend with the final events of this year's Colours festival, with concerta that took listeners from Mozart to Beethoven. Saturday evening, Penner acknowledged Concertmaster Julia L. Haney, and the concert began. The ensemble is made up of several local players in around Shafter and Kern County, and has played at the last few Colours Festivals, featuring everything from Hollywood...
Golden Oak Elementary School was the site for their annual Father/Daughter Dance on Friday night, with over 100 fathers and daughters in attendance. The couples came decked out in their best party wear for a bonding opportunity that included dinner and some great music on the dance floor. According to Principal Annemarie Mendez, this was one of the most popular events of the school year. "We held the Mother/Son Dance for the first time last year, but the Father/Daughter Dance...
Acting City Manager Jim Zervis has submitted his resignation, effective Friday, March 13. Zervis has been in this position since the resignation of former City Manager Scott Hurlbert in August. He reportedly has taken the job of chief operations officer with the County of Kern. The administrative services director for the city since 2011, Zervis was responsible for accounting, financial management and reporting, investing, risk management, banking and various administrative...
The Shafter High winter sports teams had several of squads make the post-season, with the Shafter boys varsity soccer team making their way into the Valley Championship Division IV game at Garces High School. After receiving a bye in the first round, the Generals, seeded No. 3 in the tournament, beat sixth- seeded Lindsay, 4-3, to reach the semifinals. In that game, Shafter went up against a Woodlake team that had upset second-seeded Chowchilla. The Generals had no trouble in...
Scenes from the 2020 Colours arts festival. Photos by Jamie Stewart of The Shafter Press...
A 6-year-old boy died in rollover accident in Shafter on Friday afternoon. Jaden Jimenez was airlifted from the scene and later succumbed to his injuries. The two other occupants of the car, including the driver, had not been identified as of Tuesday night. At about 3:30 p.m., the Shafter Police Department was dispatched to the mishap in the 30000 block of West Tulare Avenue. Upon arrival, the officers found three occupants in the vehicle . Police said the vehicle left the roa...
The music was the star at the event at Shafter Veterans Hall on Friday night as part of the Shafter Colours Festival. Several local singers put their talents on display at the Live Music Night. There was some great music in addition to good food and drink. One singer of note was Shafter boy Devon Ford, who was playing one of his last local performances. Ford is moving up into the mountains, limiting his performance schedule in the area. Ford sprinkled his playlist with a...
Larry Starrh's newest production, "The Big Secret," took center stage at the Shafter Colours Festival and drew sellouts for the tale of a poor farmer and his family. The play was full of lively music that paired up with the story that made you think as well as enjoy the acting and music. The production was directed by Brent Starrh. Starrh has a bachelor's degree in theater arts from Westmont College and put his knowledge to good use with a play that blended intricate musical...
Mannel Park was the site for a variety of activities during the 2020 Shafter Colours Festival this past Saturday. Even the appearance of rain couldn't dampen the spirits of the participants and the crowd that enjoyed the festivities. The morning started just down the street from Mannel Park with the Shafter Colours Fun Run/Walk. This event has been one of the most popular of the festival since its inception, with the participants running or walking a course of stations in...
New pastor Steve Dobbs and his wife, Robyn, have found a "place to belong" in Shafter and believe it to be a perfect fit. Since August 4, Dobbs has held church services at the Shafter Senior Center Sundays at 11 a.m. The church, Community Circle Church, has grown a congregation of around 30 parishioners by drawing those in the community that are looking for a place to belong. "We really believe it is important to feel a sense of belonging before you believe," said Dobbs. The...
It's showtime as the 2020 Shafter Colours Festival begins this weekend, kicking off with the Spaghetti Dinner put on by the Shafter Community Chest. The event is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Shafter Veterans Hall. There will be live music at the venue as you dine or you can elect to get your meals to go. Thursday is also opening night for Larry Starrh's new creation, "The Big Secret," a play filled with toe-tapping music and plenty to think about. For fans of the days of...
The California Air Resources Board held a meeting on Feb. 13 at the Shafter Veterans Hall to vote on the proposed Community Emissions Reduction Program for the city of Shafter. The AB617 Steering Committee has been working on the program for the past year. The committee has met 17 times to create a plan that would reduce emissions in a seven-mile radius around the city. The committee was created by the San Joaquin Valley Air District and CARB with the passing of Assembly Bill...
The Shafter PRess"The Big Secret" will be coming to Shafter later this month. No, the "secret" is not that Shafter is full of talented individuals – that secret has been out ever since a group of Shafter residents decided to celebrate the arts with an annual weekend festival. The secret that is coming is the latest play by Shafter resident, farmer and playwright Larry Starrh. The play will lead off this year's Colours Festival at Shafter's Ford Theater Feb. 20-23. All performa...
Have you ever wondered who is responsible for all of the work that is being done on the city's streets, as well as the sidewalks and buildings in town? The answer is the Shafter Public Works Department. Director Michael James and his department are responsible for all of the infrastructure in the city, guided by the recommendations of the City Council. The latest example of their work is the major project just finishing up on James Street. The road was repaved, as well as...
