Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Sorted by date Results 1226 - 1250 of 1554
The Kern County Cemetery District, which includes both the Shafter and Wasco Cemeteries, were awarded the California Special Districts Association Transparency Certification at the California Association of Public Cemeteries at a meeting last month. This program was created by the Special District Leadership Foundation in an effort to promote transparency in the operations and governance of special districts to the public and to provide special districts with an opportunity...
The Shafter Youth Center played host to two events last week for families looking for a safe way to celebrate the holiday season. The Shafter Lions Club, in partnership with the Shafter Youth Center, held a "Trunk or Treat" event Oct. 28 with over two dozen cars and trucks decorated in a variety of themes, each giving away candy to trick-or-treaters. The Shafter Police Department had a booth at the event, handing out treats and other fun items for the kids. Members of the Los...
The second annual Wings 'N' Wheels event was held Saturday, and there was something for everyone, whether your interests lie on land or in air. Put on by Minter Field Air Museum, the event drew thousands to the Minter Field Airport for a glimpse of a great variety of winged aircrafts and motor vehicles. At one of the biggest car shows in the area, there were over 350 cars and trucks, with several classes of vehicles, from classics to hot rods to pickup trucks. The day saw a...
In the 93rd installment of one of the longest and fiercest rivalries in the county, the Shafter Generals held off a late charge by the Wasco Tigers Friday night and won bragging rights for the year with a 28-21 victory. The Generals have now won the "Big Game" two years in a row, with the latest game allowing the Generals to claim a share of the SSL title – an a spot in the Valley playoffs. The Tigers started Friday night on a dominant note when the junior varsity team from W...
A football game is a contest made up of four quarters. Unfortunately, on Friday night, the Shafter Generals only showed up for two. Up against the Arvin Bears in the first round of the Division V playoffs, Shafter saw the Bears dominate them in every phase of the game in the first half. After spotting the Generals a two-point safety on their first series, the Bears scored 28 unanswered points. The Generals troubles started on offense, with the hosts unable to sustain a drive b...
The driver of a minivan narrowly escaped injury when the vehicle was struck by a train on Tuesday evening. Shafter police received a call at approximately 8 p.m. about a vehicle being struck by a train. According to Shafter Police Sergeant Randy Mulligan, the driver of the vehicle was unfamiliar with the area and got his minivan stuck on the train tracks. "The driver, who was using his navigational system, entered the intersection at Beech Avenue and Highway 43, and turned...
Minter Field Air Museum will have a new display in the near future, thanks to the daughter of a World War II veteran who wrote one of twelve documents that were used in the surrender of Japan, ending World War II. Cheri Mudryk, a Bakersfield resident, brought a copy of the surrender documents that her father had a hand in writing. Victor Wessel Jr. was a long-time employee of the old Coffee's Men's Store in Bakersfield when he decided to join the Army. He was assigned to Compa...
The Shafter Woman's Club has been busy with numerous events this past month in their efforts to serve the community. The club sponsored a student from Shafter High School, Ashley Castillo, to participate in the HOBY program. The Hugh O'Brien Youth Leadership program was founded in 1958 and empowers young people to use their leadership skills in their education and career. The participants attend a conference in which they are given tools to be a good leader and to develop...
Each year during Shafter-Wasco Week, the two high school campuses light up with a flurry of activities culminating in the annual battle on the gridiron. This year, Shafter High held dress-up days throughout the week, including Queen Day. Students were encouraged to dress up like a Wasco Rose Queen, with an outlandish amount of makeup and glittery garb. At lunchtime, there were games and activities. Wednesday night saw the old gym packed with students and community members for...
The North Shafter area will see improvements in its infrastructure under a project approved by the City Council Tuesday night. The council awarded a contract to Kern Asphalt for work on the shoulders of Highway 43 from Mayer Lane to Tulare Avenue. In the decision, the council also approved a project to put monument boxes along the roadway. These monuments establish the centerlines of roads within these communities. A field investigation by city crews traced and located seven...
Golden Oak Elementary School was the place to be on Friday as they hosted their annual Harvest Carnival. Put on by the Golden Oak PTO, this event is one of the main fundraisers of the year for the school. The campus was decorated with pumpkins, brightly colored gords, and funny ghosts and ghouls, letting the community enjoy the holiday in a safe environment. In addition to PTO members and school staff, there also were different organizations there giving out information and...
Strata Credit Union, which is celebrating its 70th year, granted a wish to the Minter Field Air Museum recently, donating $2,000 to the museum to help support their operations. Brian Ivie, CEO of Strata, said that the museum does so much for the community of Shafter and the rest of Kern County, that it was a pleasure to help the museum continue that work. "Strata Credit Union is proud to be a part of this organization and wants to congratulate the museum and its staff on...
In the 93rd installment of one of the longest and fiercest rivalries in the county, the Shafter Generals held off a late charge by the Wasco Tigers Friday night and won bragging rights for the year with a 28-21 victory. The Generals have now won the "Big Game" two years in a row, with the latest game allowing the Generals to claim a share of the SSL title – an a spot in the Valley playoffs. The Tigers started Friday night on a dominant note when the junior varsity team from W...
Shafter Police Chief Kevin Zimmermann gave a presentation on department's history at the Shafter Historical Society's recent annual meeting. Zimmermann, who has been in the position for three years, said that when he first came into the position, he was surprised by the lack of department history available to the public. "I took a trip to the Shafter Depot Museum and was really surprised that it didn't have a section on the police department. There was a badge, I think a...
The First Southern Baptist Church in Shafter had a big weekend recently when they hosted a nationally known evangelist and also held a Harvest Fair for the community. Evangelist Raul Perez, who came to Shafter for the first time last year, made a return visit and held an evangelistic crusade for three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Perez has a unique story and relates to many because of his background in which he has faced so many challenges on his way to redemption....
The Shafter Generals pulled off the biggest upset of the football season so far as they knocked off the previously unbeaten Kennedy Thunderbirds, 27-21, on Friday night, giving them a chance to capture at least a share of the South Sequoia League title. The last time the T-Birds lost a game to a Central Section team was to the Generals during the regular season last year. Kennedy then went on to go undefeated the rest of the season and beat the Generals in the Valley...
I recently wrote a piece about new legislation that makes it illegal for schools to suspend students for “willful defiance.” This phrase includes noncooperation, such as cussing out a teacher, sleeping in class, refusing to obey classroom rules and being disruptive. Before, a student could be suspended if he or she did not heed warnings given by teachers and administration. This new legislation recommends the use of positive reinforcement, or a “focus on healing, respe...
If you missed the evangelistic event last year at the First Southern Baptist Church in Shafter, you have a chance to be a part of the event this year as Raul Perez is returning to deliver his unique message to the city. Perez will also be returning to Shafter High to talk to the students about his experiences, giving them a message of hope and faith. The event will take place on October 25-27, beginning at 7 p.m. each evening. Pastor Jim Neal said that Perez has a connection w...
Shafter High School joined all other schools in the Kern High School District in participating in their annual Principal Partner's Day recently. This event allows local dignitaries and community members to connect with the their local high schools and observe the operations of them as they work to educate youth and help them become productive citizens. The event began at each high school in the district as they hosted a breakfast, followed by a tour of their respective schools...
A meeting was held recently bringing together stewards and other supporters of Shafter's Little Free Library system. Lupe Velarde, a steward herself, hosted the gathering in her backyard in La Colonia on Oct 12. She was assisted by Melissa Bergen, Katie Wiebe and Jill O'Brien. About thirty people, big and little, delivered bags and boxes of books for the occasion, with more donated by Community Action Partnership for Kern County, Richland School and the City of Shafter. The...
Those residents who are Shafter High alumni know the saying "Once a General, Always a General." Well, there is another saying going around now and it also gives SHS alumni a great feeling about walking those halls of blue and gold. General PRIDE is a sensation that has swept the campus. Students and staff will tell you that General PRIDE is not a program, but it is an approach for creating a culture on the campus that is positive and has individualized support for students....
The secret has been out for some time now. Shafter is home to one of the finest Mexican restaurants in Kern County. In 2016, El Michoacano Restaurant, located on Central Avenue right next to Bank of America, was visited by Pete Tittl, the food critic for the Bakersfield Californian.Tittl was celebrating his anniversary and raved about the sizzling enchiladas. The restaurant has been building on that reputation steadily over the years and the business, according to owner...
The Kern Housing Authority announced recently that they will be utilizing a farm labor camp in the Arvin/Lamont area to house approximately 50 to 75 women this year while the camp is essentially empty during the winter months. In a report just two months ago, the office was considering using the Shafter Farm Labor Camp on Highway 43 and Merced Avenue midway between Shafter and Wasco, which drew a large amount of opposition. Concerned citizens made phone calls to Supervisor...
Two Town Hall meetings were held recently to allow the public to give input into the recruitment process to find a new city manager. The workshops' goal was to get the residents of Shafter involved in the process of finding a replacement. The City Council accepted the resignation of City Manager Scott Hurlbert at the end of August. The firm of CPS HR Consulting was retained by the city to lead the process. The firm has been involved in recruitments for a number of cities...
The City Council decided that it would be beneficial that the next city manager speak Spanish. They approved a brochure that will be used in the search that includes a preference for bilingual candidates and increased salary for those with that ability. The necessity for the search occurred with the resignation of City Manager Scott Hurlbert in late August. The council attained the services of CPS HR Consulting to aid them in their search. One of the duties of the firm was to...
