Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Shafter rebounded from the challenging times of the Covid-19 pandemic, seeing the city prosper and its residents begin to thrive again after the last couple of years of uncertainty. JANUARY began with new leadership at the top of the City Council, with Chad Givens named mayor. Givens was excited about the chance to serve the city in this capacity and was looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead. Givens also said, "Shafter is my home. I was born and raised here, and I love going to...
Hitchcock's Auto Parts is turning 100 years old, and they are showing their appreciation to the community where it was established back in 1923, with Chuck Hitchcock opening a business that would become one of the oldest and most popular companies in town. New owner Dustin Hooper and his wife, Berenice, will take over the business on Jan. 1, in a process that will be a slow transition, giving the new owners a chance to soak up the wisdom and advice of longtime owner Jesse Escobedo. Escobedo...
It was Christmas in Shafter on Saturday at the Shafter Depot Museum, as they held their annual Christmas at the Depot event. Santa arrived and took a seat in the museum's new caboose, giving the kids, young and the young at heart, a chance to make their Christmas wishes known. There was also live Christmas music, as the Shafter Brass Band entertained the crowd as they perused the museum and checked out all of the decorated trees. Refreshments also were served, including baked goods, cookies,...
Shafter received its first new fire truck in almost 15 years recently, getting a brand new engine that was "pushed into" Kern County Fire Station 32 in Shafter. Fire officials say that the new engine was loaded with brand new tools and was thoroughly examined before it was pushed into – the term used by firefighters for the first time a truck is driven into a bay – the engine bay in Station #32 in Shafter. Shafter Mayor Pro-Tem Cathy Prout was onsite for the delivery, She also was on hand for...
The Shafter City Council approved an improvement project plan for the Shafter Aquatic Center which would give the facility a whole new look with a new building. A special meeting was held on Tuesday night, and discussed three different options that were created to complete the renovation of the center. The council recently awarded a contract to complete to get the pool operational and a little landscaping. The project discussed Tuesday would include the main building, which was used for...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club works year round to enrich the lives of Shafter residents, especially its youth. In addition to their Terrific Kids Luncheon program, the club holds several events throughout the year, sponsors several sports teams and usually backs a contestant in the Distinguished Young Womans program. Last week, the members of the organization were busy packing over 70 boxes of food for needy families. Each box contained a protein, vegetables, bread, potatoes and more They were not...
Dodgeball is a game many of us played in grade school and haven't seen that giant rubber globe since. But a group of Shafter residents dusted off their sneakers Saturday and played in a kickball tournament to benefit the Toys for Tots organization. All of the proceeds went to the group and there was another Toy Drop-off event held at the tournament site, Veterans Park. The event was sponsored by Big Dog Presents and Acelaredos Off Road. Several teams kicked their way around the diamond, bringing...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held its monthly Terrific Kids Luncheon Tuesday, honoring a special group of kids from the elementary schools in the Shafter area. Students from Redwood, Sequoia, Golden Oak, Richland Junior High, GROW Academy and Maple School were recognized for displaying a certain character trait that was the feature trait for this month. This month, the character trait is Responsibility. In addition to Responsibility, the other traits that are recognized by the program that stand...
The Shafter City Council voted unanimously to award the $3 million Shafter Aquatic Center Improvement Project contract to James E. Thompson Inc. Currently, the estimated cost of the project is $2.8 million, with $2.4 million coming from the Clean California Grant. The remaining $380,000 is coming from the city's General Fund. The project includes replacing the decking, landscaping, ADA improvements and resurfacing the pool. With the approval, the city can move forward, with the project's...
On Friday morning at approximately 5:10 a,m., two suspects broke into the Shafter Animal Shelter, 1849 S. Shafter Ave., and took two young dogs there. "The two puppies were scheduled to go to one of our rescue partners from out of state. They are still missing,and we just want to get them back," said Animal Control Officer Nick Riddick. "They were scheduled to go and start their new lives. This is sad, and we encourage anyone with information on the case to please contact the Shafter Animal...
The Shafter Depot Museum will be playing host to some special visitors on Saturday, including the main man from the North Pole. Santa Claus will arrive at the museum and will be setting up in the museum's new caboose to meet all his little friends. He will have a stuffed animal for each child. He will be on site from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The Shafter Brass Band will be playing Christmas music from 11 a.m. until noon. Featured will be 12 beautiful trees, each very different, which will fill...
A few years ago, a few Shafter residents were looking for a way to help the community celebrate the holidays without giving a bunch of hand-outs. Melissa Bergen and Katie Wiebe looked into Pride for Parents, hosted by FCS ministries in Atlanta. It emphasized the need to highlight that both donors and recipients want to bring something to the table and that desire should be honored. Though their resources may be limited, parents would rather know that they are providing for their children rather...
The Shafter Youth Center was the site of the city's latest ribbon cutting ceremony. Local dignitaries, along with representatives from CAPK, the Wonderful Company and a representative from Supervisor David Couch's office were on hand to celebrate a new playground at the Shafter Youth Center complex on East Euclid in Shafter. Director Angie Nelson said that the new playground is more than just a play structure. "This is so much more than equipment and wood chips," said Nelson. "This is a symbol...
The Wasco High Tigers saw their season end on Friday, dropping the State title game to St. Vincent de Paul, 27-6, at Pasadena City College. The Tigers played a tough game, and the contest was actually a lot closer than the score would indicate. Led by Head Coach Chad Martinez, the Tigers sparred with the Mustangs in the first half, holding the powerful offense of the Mustangs to just one score. The Mustangs opened the scoring with a short touchdown run in the first quarter. Wasco, led by...
The Mennonite Brethren Church of Shafter held a Christmas Festival event on Sunday night, giving the community several ways to celebrate this holiday season. "This was a special time for our church and the entire community," said Pastor Pay Coyle, who was one of the leaders of the event. There was something for just about anybody, including hay rides, Christmas music, story time, arts and crafts, and more. "I just love this thing," said Fred Marsh, who was at the event with his granddaughter....
Shafter held its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Monday night, with a large crowd gathered at the Downtown Square. Host Chad Givens, the mayor, welcomed the attendees and thanked them for coming out to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with them. Shafter's Distinguished Young Woman Emily McGuire had the honors of flipping the switch to light up the tall and beautiful tree, adorned with silver ornaments and over 1,000 lights. There were also several vendors on hand,...
The Shafter Police Department is asking the public for information regarding a shooting incident that took place at Veterans Park on Thursday night, Nov. 30, at approximately 9:43p.m. Officers were dispatched that night to the neighborhood adjacent to the park regarding a report of shots being fired in the area. When officers arrived, no suspects or victims of any shooting were found. A short time later, the police received information that a 19-year-old man was reported to be shot at the park,...
There is a new barbershop in town, located at the site that once housed Elro's Barbershop, on Central Avenue. Ayala'a Barbershop has been open almost a month, and is excited about this new opportunity to cut its way into the community's hearts. Owner Alfredo Ayala, along with barber Brent Martinez, opened the shop to give the residents of Shafter a new option when it comes to hair styles. They are ready to give you any type of cut you want, being well-versed in all of the new styles that are...
The Planet Dance company held their annual Winter Recital Saturday night, bringing a bunch of pop icons to life through music and dance. Dancers ages 4-18 dazzled the packed house at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School. The title of the show was "Icons," with the dancers moving to the sounds of some of the most famous voices and performers in history, from Franki Valli to Janet Jackson. The studio, operated and directed by the Hernandez family, put on an outstanding sho...
Christmas came early for Shafter residents who ventured out to Minter Field on Saturday morning. A visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus gave the parents and children watched Old St. Nick arrive in an airplane, with Mrs. Claus and a helper to assist him with his gift giving. The event was sponsored by the Minter Field Air Museum, which holds the event each year. Each child gets a stuffed animal, courtesy of Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a big thank you to Petsmart of Bakesfield, which donated all of the...
The Wasco High Tigers continued their march through the playoffs, punching their ticket to the State Championship game. Wasco beat Southern Section champion Cerritos High School 7-6 Friday night, capping a playoff run that saw the Tigers roaring back in the second half for the third straight game. The Tigers were down early, as Cerritos scored first, taking a 6-0 lead. The point-after was blocked by Jacob Robledo, which turned out to be the difference in the game. But, in the second half, the...
The Shafter High Generals lost the chance to repeat as Valley Champions when an official blew a call during the overtime period, giving Madera's Torres High a 43-42 last-play win in Shafter Friday night. The Generals had scored on their first possession of overtime. Torres scored a touchdown and were going for a two-point conversion. But Torres was flagged for a penalty, pushing the ball back five yards. Torres then decided to kick the extra point. A high snap forced the Toros' quarterback – t...
Details continue to be ironed out for the upcoming Colours Festival, slated for Feb. 24-26. The event will mainly be held at the Tin Cup and Ford Theater, with a couple of exceptions. The festival is returning after a long hiatus, with the event being focused this year on local talent. The opening event will be the Spaghetti Dinner held by the Community Chest on Friday, Feb. 24. Other events slated for Friday are the opening of the Art Gallery, which will feature several local artists in a...
Chris Mathys, a congressional candidate for California's 21st District, made a visit to Shafter on Saturday, spending the day talking to constituents about their concerns and needs as he attempts to unseat Congressman David Valadao in the next election. Mathys said that this district needs a man in office that will be a Republican that will support his colleagues and his party." Mathys pointed out that Valadao was one of only two Republicans who had voted to impeach former President Donald...
The Mennonite Brethren Church of Shafter held its annual Youth Wrestling tournament on Saturday, attracting almost 100 wrestlers from all over the valley. There were several wrestlers from the Shafter Spartans who participated, along with wrestlers from Wasco, Bakersfield, even Fresno. The event was run by Pastor Pat Coyle, who also leads a wrestling camp every summer. The tournament is for mostly novice and beginners to the sport, who use this tournament as a way to get exposed to a...
