Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 1176 - 1200 of 1554
Well, 2019 is in the rear view mirror, and the next decade is underway. This past year has been such a busy one for me. It has been full of some great times, like having a job that I just love, covering events, writing, taking photos and always learning. This job is really different every week, you never know what is going to happen. I am so thankful for this job, doing something that I love to do. It has also been a good one in our family, with everyone staying relatively...
The Shafter Animal Control Department serves all of the residents of Shafter, those walking on two legs or four. Animal Control Officer Nick Riddick and his staff bring together residents of Shafter and those animals who are needing places to call home. Shafter Animal Control offers a variety of services to the residents, including picking up stray animals, enforcing animal laws in the city and investigating of animal cruelty or neglect, as well as educating the public on the...
Yes, it is that time of year again. For those of you who are wondering what to do with your Christmas tree, the City of Shafter has a drop-off location that is available. They are accepting trees at the City of Shafter Corporation Yard at 550 N. Shafter Ave., at the corner of East Tulare and North Shafter Avenues. They will be open five days a week, Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are asking that you remove the tree stands, nails and decorations from the tree before...
A record-setting number of Christmas trees were on display for the month of December at the Shafter Depot Museum in their annual Christmas Tree decorating contest. There were 16 trees entered this year in the competition, with the theme "Lights, Camera, Christmas!" Each tree depicted a holiday movie or scene, with a variety of titles from the competitors. Residents were encouraged to come to the museum and vote for their favorite tree, with the top three entrants recognized...
In the two years Don Pepe's has been open, building a reputation as a family-oriented, friendly restaurant for Shafter. Owner Jose Martinez has been successful in his vision, with the restaurant having a loyal customer base that is growing all the time. In a move intended to expand their following, the restaurant is unveiling a new menu that includes its popular Mexican fare along with American food, including burgers, sandwiches and pizza. Martinez bought the restaurant in...
The City of Shafter continues to grow as it keeps strengthening one of the most financially stable cities in Kern County, if not the state of California. Shafter has a valuable weapon in its arsenal when it comes to attracting new businesses, as well as growing its core city. The Shafter Chamber of Commerce is an integral part of the makeup of the city, helping local businesses in many ways. If you ask the average resident what the Shafter Chamber of Commerce is, they will...
The City Council is moving forward on interviewing four candidates to fill the open city manager position. The regular meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, had been cancelled, but the council held a special meeting Monday night to approve next steps in the process to replace Scott Hurlbert, who resigned in August. In a closed session, council members discussed possible candidates for the position and decided to start the interviewing process with four candidates. The interviews...
The author of the book behind the movie "The Aviator" will highlight this year's Minter Field Air Museum Founder's Day Banquet next month. George Marrett is a former test pilot who has written four books on his exploits in the air, as well as his life dealing with Howard Hughes. Marrett wrote the book [BEGIN ITAL]The Aviator,[END ITAL] on which the 2004 movie "Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was based,. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, at Hodel's Country...
The Shafter Boxing Club came home from the Silver Gloves Regional Championships with five competitors qualified to advance to the National Championships in Kansas later this year. The club, headed up by Mike Ayon and a staff of volunteers, had five winners in their respective weight classes. The event was held in Compton this past weekend. The local boxers qualified for the Regionals with victories in the state tournament held earlier in 2019. Alexa Diaz won the Girls 80 lb....
The City of Shafter has been enjoying a reputation of being one of the fastest growing cities in business in recent years, attracting such companies as Target, Ross and several other big retailers. The most recent addition is Walmart, which is scheduled to open the most technologically advanced distribution center in the nation in Shafter in the fall of 2020. Bob Meadows, business development director for the city, says Shafter is a sought-after destination for businesses,...
Private First Class Daniel Rodriguez, 19, of Shafter, will be laid to rest on Friday after passing away on Dec. 15 in Texhoma, Texas, while on his way home for the holidays. Rodriguez graduated from Shafter High School in 2018 and then joined the U.S. Army. Rodriguez was in the news last December when he surprised his nieces and nephews at their schools after being away for six months. Rodriguez went to Redwood Elementary School and the reunion with his nephews, Ruben Leon,...
[4-LINE DROP CAPS]2019[TO HERE] has come to an end, and it has been a very eventful year in Shafter, full of highs, and some lows, too. The year started off like the Fourth of July, with plenty of fireworks at the core of the city, as a returning city councilmember, Cathy Prout, retained her seat, as well as a newcomer in Cesar Lopez. Lopez was on the Shafter Recreation Board before deciding to run for the council. When the two were sworn in, the new council voted 3-2 to...
There are so many ways that people can leave their mark on the world. Some write great novels, or paint masterpieces, and some leave their mark by their good deeds. Walter Bergen combined these traits, leaving behind 20 masterpieces that will leave his legacy for the children of Shafter. Bergen passed away recently at age 86. He was born in a house off of Sullivan Road and Enos Lane. Bergen went through Shafter schools and graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He worked at...
The Shafter High School soccer team took down some heavyweights in the Central Valley soccer world on its way to the championship of the Liberty tournament. This tourney draws some of the top soccer teams in the area, including past Valley champions Centennial, Stockdale and Foothill, who won the Division III championship last year. The Generals, led by Coach Jorge Maldonado, went undefeated in the December tournament, outscoring opponents 14-3 over its four matches....
The Shafter Depot Museum held their annual Christmas celebration this past Saturday with refreshments, music, Christmas trees and fun. The Shafter Brass Band performed for the crowd, playing a variety of holiday favorites. Among the band was former Judge Gary Ingle, who is celebrating his 40th year playing Christmas music for the community of Shafter. The event featured 16 trees decorated in the theme for this year, "Lights, Camera, Christmas!" Several clubs, organizations...
Sequoia Elementary School held their annual Christmas Program last Thursday morning with the students performing a variety of holiday songs. In years past, it was hard to get a seat for the event, with the venue filling up quickly, well before start time of the program. This year, there was a performance for the kindergarten to third graders at 8:30 a.m., with a separate performance for the fourth through sixth graders at 9:30 a.m. This alleviated the crowds and gave everyone...
Everyone knows what you are doing if you say "I'm going to the King." The King is Frosty King, the fast food restaurant that focuses on great food and service. For over 20 years, Sammy Ayash and company had been serving Shafter with burgers, chicken, fries, onion rings and also a good variety of dessert items such as sundaes, shakes, freezes and floats. What some people don't know is that the building also houses the New York Deli. Ayash said that he got the idea of the deli...
The Young Adult Theater of Shafter finished its debut production this past weekend with crowds on hand to see their performances of the classic "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown." Led by the YATS Director Cris Starrh, the play entertained audiences with three shows, finishing up Saturday night. The production used a cast of six actors, each showing their prowess on the stage, be it covering the stage during a dance number or belting out a song. Charlie Brown was played by...
With the majority of California schools and resource centers dealing with challenging budget cuts and uncertainty, the Shafter Healthy Start program received a much-needed boost from First 5 Kern, with a financial award of $800,000 to continue to serve the Shafter community from 2020 to 2025. With the help of Program Director Dr. Mayra Helo-Trvino, the resource center applied for a very competitive grant to continue to serve communities. Helo-Trevino said, "This grant is so...
Sequoia Elementary School held their annual Christmas Program last Thursday morning with the students performing a variety of holiday songs. In years past, it was hard to get a seat for the event, with the venue filling up quickly, well before start time of the program. This year, there was a performance for the kindergarten to third graders at 8:30 a.m., with a separate performance for the fourth through sixth graders at 9:30 a.m. This alleviated the crowds and gave everyone...
Sequoia Elementary School held their annual Christmas Program last Thursday morning with the students performing a variety of holiday songs. In years past, it was hard to get a seat for the event, with the venue filling up quickly, well before start time of the program. This year, there was a performance for the kindergarten to third graders at 8:30 a.m., with a separate performance for the fourth through sixth graders at 9:30 a.m. This alleviated the crowds and gave everyone...
If you are wondering why you have not received a water bill this month, it is not a mistake, but a change the city is making in their billing procedures for utility customers. Currently, the city has been billing customers for their water in advance. Payments made at the beginning of November were for services provided in the month of November. For customers on a water meter, more is involved. These customers receive a bill for the trash and sewer services for the upcoming month, but the water bill for the previous month....
To the delight of over 150 people awaiting his arrival, Minter Field played host to the jolly old fellow from the North Pole on Saturday. The Minter Field Air Museum sponsored their annual Santa Fly-In, giving everyone a chance to meet St. Nick. Museum Director Ronald Pierce said he was glad the weather held out, allowing Santa to make a safe touchdown next to the main hangar. Santa was accompanied by Mrs. Claus and a host of helpful elves. California Pinups for Patriots...
The Golden Oak Tigers had a packed cafeteria on Tuesday morning as they held their annual Christmas program. Santa arrived and played emcee for the event as all of the classes had their turn on the stage. Parents, friends and family filled the space up as the kids performed a variety of holiday songs, including Mrs. Lopez's class, who kicked things off with "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." Santa told the kids after the song that he really could see if they were naughty or...
The Shafter City Council voted to move forward on a project that will see the existing Shafter Learning Center and Library expand to include more classrooms and several areas that will make the center a complex suited for a variety of uses. Just a few months ago, GAF Materials, a roofing materials manufacturer based in Cawelo, decided to reach out to the community and find out a need that the residents of Shafter had and try to fill that need. CCO Andy Hilton met with...
