Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Mary Ellen Rexius, a long time Wasco resident, will be remembered as a loving and giving woman who loved life and gave of herself, her time and passion for her hometown, a true and faithful Tiger. Rexius passed away last week, at the age of 102. In 1947, Rexius, who was teaching in Tennessee, answered an ad in a Memphis newspaper for a teaching position in Wasco,Ca. Soon after, Rexius boarded a train for Wasco. "I will always remember that day, stepping off that train in...
The residents of Gossamer Grove were able to meet the men and women in blue serving the city of Shafter as members of the Shafter Police Department on Saturday, with a Flight Park Saturday Coffee with a Cop event. Residents of the megadevelopment on Seventh Standard Road were able to meet with the officers, voicing any concerns they may have, as well as ask questions. The event drew a good crowd that expressed their satisfaction with the performance of the Police Department...
City users of solid waste collection will pay less – or more, if they have alley service now. And the alley service is going away, as of July 1. The Shafter City Council on the new rates, for service delivered by American Refuse. Public Works Director Michael James told the attendees at the public hearing Tuesday night that in 2021, the City of Shafter developed a three-cart system that would be utilized by the city for its residents, which is required by the State of C...
A local man who graduated from Shafter High School has returned to town and is operating the newest barber shop here. Phatboyz Barber Shop. Edgar Gonzalez has been operating his own barber shop since 2006, with a shop of the same name in Wasco building Gonzalez's clientele. Gonzalez's clients followed him to Shafter after the move, along with with a new group of customers. Gonzalez said that he started cutting hair when he was 13 years old. "Every summer, we would shave our...
Nick Godbehere of the Shafter High track and field team threw his way to a seventh place finish in the discus throw at the CIF State Track and Field Meet held at Clovis Buchannon High School on Saturday. Godbehere also captured 11th place in the shot put competition. Godbehere, who came into the meet ranked in the top 10 throwers in the state, led the field of 12 qualifiers after the first round in the finals with a throw of 189-feet-2. He had qualified on Friday in fourth...
The Wasco Lady Tigers softball team ended an outstanding season with a runner-up finish in the Division III Valley Championships, dropping the championship game to Monache High School, 2-0. Wasco came into the final contest riding a 2- game winning streak, going undefeated in the South Sequoia League. The Lady Tigers began the Valley tournament with a 5-4 victory over Kerman, the 15th seed, with Wasco the No. 2 seed. The Lady Tigers followed that win with another nail-biter...
Vacation Bible School season is just around the corner, with several churches gearing up for this special time of the year. But, with budgets tight, and attendance a challenge with so many different events, a community of churches in Shafter has decided in the past couple of years to combine their efforts, giving them the opportunity to reach more kids while still giving them the fun that they have come to expect at VBS. This is the fourth year for a Community VBS, which will...
Camp Hamilton, with its lush stand of trees among a desert of oilfields, held its annual Memorial Day Service on Monday, remembering all of the veterans who have served our country in all branches of the military. Visitors gathered from all over Kern County to be a part of this tradition and ceremony. Camp Hamilton is a veterans memorial park that serves as a respite for veterans and their families. The grounds harbor a grove of trees that have been planted to memorialize Kern...
Golden Oak second grade teacher Ashley Miriles had the opportunity to walk across the stage to collect her diploma from University of California Merced recently, with a little help from her class. Miriles grew up in Shafter and attended Shafter schools throughout her childhood, up to and including graduating from Shafter High School. She always wanted to come back to her community once she graduated and give back to her hometown. Miriles' graduation from UC Merced was...
After a two-year hiatus due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Shafter Cemetery held its annual Memorial Day service, honoring those local heroes who served in our Armed Forces and have passed away. The service was begun by Brian Smith, a Marine veteran, welcoming the crowd to the ceremony, followed by the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Musician Gene Absher was on hand to play a couple of songs, one of which he wrote himself, after hearing stories of his father fighting...
A pickup truck was dragged nearly a half-mile to the Shafter Cemetery by an Amtrak train Friday evening, killing the driver and injuring three train passengers. Upon arrival, Shafter police officer officers discovered a pickup truck wedged underneath a southbound Amtrak train near the cemetery. It is believed that the collision took place near Cherry Avenue and Highway 43, and the vehicle was dragged nearly a half-mile to the cemetery site. Passengers were safely evacuated...
Shafter High seniors were in the spotlight on Tuesday night as over 100 students were honored with awards and scholarships at the annual Senior Night awards event. With a large crowd gathered at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center on the campus of Shafter High, seniors from Shafter High were rewarded for their hard work and efforts during their high school careers. There were scholarships given out totaling over $250,000 to outgoing seniors, enabling them to start their...
The Shafter High Drama Department put on their production of the Broadway hit, "The Drowsy Chaperone," on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center on the campus of Shafter High. Directed by advisor Hal Friedman, the ensemble presented the parody of 1920s American musicals to crowds of over 100 each night. The play tells the story of a couple getting ready to get married, accompanied by his best man, the maid of honor, who is the title...
The Richland School District and its students had a busy week, with a visit from an acclaimed author, as well as an opportunity for some of their students to take a trip to the Shafter Learning Center. Author Greg Trine visited Redwood Elementary last week. He shared with students his inspiration for writing children's books. Trine shared tips for editing and revising with the students, who participated throughout a school assembly. Trine emphasized to students that being a go...
Shafter has an artist in town that has been creating works of art and history for years, creating works that capture the rich history of the city. Charlotte White, who has been painting for over 50 years, is preparing a new exhibit for Shafter's Tin Cup, with paintings of local life, including a painting of the Green Hotel, Shafter's historic landmark. White has had a display of three paintings at Tin Cup with a picture of local almond groves, as well as a landscape. White...
Helen Gaede, the long-time director of the Shafter Kiddie Kollege, will be retiring at the end of the month, closing out a 49-year career. Gaede began at the school when the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church decided to open a preschool at the church. Gaede started helping out a couple of days a week with the kids. This grew into an every day commitment, then was taken up a notch when she went back to school to get her early education degree. She began teaching at the school...
The City of Shafter plans to spend about $27 million for capital improvements in the next next year. The City Council discussed the Capital Improvement Program and fleet equipment requests for 2022-23 at their meeting Tuesday night. According to Public Works Director Michael James, the amount of monies projected to be used for capital improvement projects is about $27 million. Fifty-four percent of this total is projected to be used for streets and road projects, with about...
Helen Gaede, the long-time director of the Shafter Kiddie Kollege, will be retiring at the end of the month, closing out a 49-year career. Gaede began at the school when the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church decided to open a preschool at the church. Gaede started helping out a couple of days a week with the kids. This grew into an every day commitment, then was taken up a notch when she went back to school to get her early education degree. She began teaching at the school...
The committee appointed by the City Council to review the city's charter and make recommendations on changes has begun its work. The City of Shafter became a charter city in 1995, with the charter adopted soon after. Charter cities are now required to form committees to review their charters. There are currently about 125 charter cities in California, with the only two in Kern County being Shafter and Bakersfield. Some of those cities are Irvine, San Bernadino, Santa Rosa,...
Basham & Lara Funeral Care recognized the Cinco de Mayo holiday on Thursday when they gave away tacos to the community, offering them to those visiting their facility. The Basham & Lara family have been involved in the community since they came to Shafter just a few years ago. They celebrated with the city of Shafter Saturday when they entered a beautiful Harley-drawn hearse with a clear glass case in the Cinco de Mayo parade. On Thursday, they had Leonor's Tacos on site to...
A sunny day for Shafter Cinco de Mayo parade Captions #1- The Perez family with one of Stanley's cars that were entered in the parade. #2- The Tea Cups were a big hit with the kids. #3- This rider shows off his rope skills. #4- American Refuse had a mariachi band on their float. #5- The Richland Trojans Marching Band. #6- The Young Marines of Bakersfield marched in the parade. #7- The Ballet Folklorico performed. #8- Basham & Lara Funeral Care had a beautiful clear hearse...
Marlene Ayon, a seventh grade Richland Trojan, was recognized recently for placing in a countywide competition, Battle of the Books, which sets students against each other in testing knowledge of books that were placed on a reading list of 28 books. Ayon, in four rounds of competition, placed in two of the four rounds. In Round 2, Ayon placed second in her division, behind only a student from Warren Junior High. In the fourth and final round, Marlene took first place, beating...
The final Shafter Learning Center history lecture of the spring will be presented Thursday, May 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the center. Stan Wilson of the Shafter Historical Society will be speaking on “Shafter – Potato Capital of the World. “ Included will be an RV Scott photo essay and the Disney film, “The Great Potato Race....
The Shafter High Drama Department, with the accompaniment of the SHS Band, performs the Broadway hit "The Drowsy Chaperone" this weekend. The parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s concerns a middle-aged asocial musical theater fan, played by Matthew Penner. As he plays the record of his favorite musical, the show comes to life onstage, as he wryly comments on the music, story and actors.Shafter drama teacher and Bakersfield Ovation Theater artistic director Hal...
A potato warehouse on Lerdo Highway was burned to the ground last week, the fifth substantial fire in the city in recent months. A former Shafter fire dispatcher voiced concern that this seemed like a pattern of arson – a suggestion rejected by the Police Department. The latest fire burned down a warehouse used to store potatoes right across the roadway from Pacific Tire. The fire was reported a little before 8 a.m. on Thursday with the Shafter Police Department and Engine 3...
