Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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If you happen to be looking in the sky around Shafter in the early evening on a calm night, don't be alarmed if you happen to see a giant balloon-like structure floating in the sky. The aerospace company Lighter Than Air is housing one of their airships at Minter Field. According to Minter Field Air Museum President Ronald Pierce, the company is certifying pilots on the airships, as well as renewing their certifications. They also are teaching ground crews how to operate the...
Richland students were able to attend the 22nd annual Leaders in Life Conference, held at the Mechanics Bank Arena. The event, which was not held last year because of the pandemic, returned in a condensed version, with the conference a little smaller but still full of valuable speeches, information and inspiration for the future leaders of Kern County. The conference picked up Thursday where it left off before the pandemic, inspiring and guiding students from across Kern...
Faith Bazaldua was named the Distinguished Young Woman of Shafter for the class of 2023 on Friday night, winning out over five other young ladies to earn the title. Bazaldua is the daughter of Constance Rubio, and was sponsored by San Joaquin Roofing. The competition, at the Ford Theater, was the return of the annual event with a full audience, with it a limited seating available last year, and the event virtual the year before that. The evening was hosted by KGET's Maddie...
The Shafter City Council held a special meeting to receive an update on budgetary progress and status for the city, learning what is on track and what needs improvement for the growth of the city. City Manager Gabriel Gonzales told the council members that the city has seen growth, and has acquired funding for new projects to help operations. One key grant was from from Clean California. "This grant will allow us to do improvements on the Shafter Aquatic Center, as well as imp...
Richland School District students prepared last week for the Kern County Oral Language Festival. Students have advanced through classroom, school and district competitions to vie for the titles of Kern County Champions. There are several different categories in the festival, including solo monologue, group monologue, drama and comedy divisions. Those Richland students who placed in the District competition performed for the CHAMPS Program students for preparation for the Regio...
At last week's Shafter Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, Mayor Cathy Prout presented the State of the City Address, giving an update and report of the progress in Shafter. With the city reopened and starting to resume regular operations, the city is in a lot better position than many valley cities, in large part due to the leadership that was proactive in their decisions, looking towards the future as well as the present when making decisions for Shafter's future, Prout...
Lennar Homes at Gossamer Grove held a ribbon cutting ceremony recently to celebrate the opening of the newest dog park in Kern County. The park had been in the planning stages for a couple of years, with the aim to dedicate the park to the service dogs who serve in the United States military. A bronze statue of a military service dog guards the entrance to the park, which includes an area for large dogs, as well as a special area for small dogs. The event also brought in used...
The Cinco de Mayo Festival is returning to Shafter after a hiatus due to the pandemic. The event will be held on Saturday, April 30, with a parade and a full day of fun and activities at Mannel Park. The Grand Marshall for the festivities this year is Shafter native and former City Council member Manuel Garcia. Garcia said that he is very humbled by the honor and loves the community of Shafter. "I love the people of Shafter and am very proud to be the Grand Marshall," said...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce held their annual Awards Banquet on Thursday night, honoring the outstanding individuals and businesses who made an impact in the city in 2021. The banquet included a silent auction and a dinner before the awards were presented. Among those honored were the five girls who had a dream of beautifying a blank wall across from the Shafter Learning Center. The girls received the Arts Group Award. Alondra Montalvo, Khloe Verdugo, Sierra Albiar, Brinle...
The Shafter Distinguished Young Woman program will be held on April 1 at the Ford Theater. The Shafter program is one of the oldest in the state, giving over $1 million dollars in scholarship money in the past 40 years. The program combines college and career readiness, life skills training, mentoring, friendships and fun. Participants meet regularly for months in preparation for the event. They learn new skills, work hard, and put in hours rehearsing, culminating in a live...
Charles Hildebrand, a man who spent decades working and teaching in the Shafter and Wasco area, recently donated a group of books that he wrote to the GROW Academy. Hildebrand donated copies of a series of books that he wrote, each containing a story that is geared towards middle school aged children, one of which is titled, "I Could Have Been a Hero, In the School Yard." Hildebrand, who retired from the teaching profession years ago, has used writing as an outlet that keeps...
Two years ago, a group of community members, a local business and staff at the Shafter Learning Center met with a dream of expanding the Shafter Learning Center. Flash-forward to two years later, and the City of Shafter, together with the Shafter Learning Center and GAF Roofing Materials, cut the ribbon on the new expansion. On Wednesday, March 16, the public was invited to check out the new facility, with a new outdoor shaded space, along with new classrooms, a lab for techni...
National Vietnam War Veterans Day is March 29 and will be commemorated with a special ceremony at the Portrait of a Warrior Gallery in downtown Bakersfield. Local author Barry Bongberg will be on hand to help celebrate the event. Bongberg wrote a book of his experiences in the Vietnam War titled, "Dear Mom and Dad: Letters from Vietnam War." It recounted his daily struggles as a teenager forced to grow up quickly in the field of Vietnam. Bongberg said this ceremony is special...
A car show was held recently, displaying over 50 cars and trucks, from classic hot rods, to antique cars and trucks, giving the attendees a variety of vehicles to peruse. The event was held in honor of Freeman Nixon, a longtime Shafter resident and car aficionado. Held at Don Mettler's place on Mannel Avenue, the show included a number of cars that have cruised the Shafter streets for over five decades. Ruby Hickman, who has been involved in local car shows for years, was in...
Local restaurant Don Pepes has recently undergone a renovation to beautify the space. Renovations included new tables, paint, murals and light fixtures. Owner Jose Martinez has worked hard since opening the restaurant in 2017, reopening the restaurant after it had declined with its previous owners. During the pandemic, Martinez took the extra food, cooked it and gave it away to the community. The response was so great, Martinez said, he bought more food to finish the week and...
I was so sad recently to hear of the passing of Pastor Jim Neal, of the First Southern Baptist Church, who passed away in late February. Pastor Neal was one of the first pastors I talked to when we were reviving the Pastors Corner section of the Shafter Press. Neal and Pastor Pat Coyle were the stalwarts in the city, never hesitating in sending in a piece when needed, which a lot of the time was pretty often. Pastor Neal sent in so many articles that inspired, touched, and...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their monthly Terrific Kids luncheon, recognizing students who best exemplify traits that describe Terrific Kids in the program specifics. The program promotes character development, self-esteem and perseverance. "Terrific" is an acronym for Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable. Students work with their classroom teachers to establish goals to improve behavior, peer relationships,...
A Shafter High student was injured after he was stabbed by another student Monday afternoon after school, Shafter Police reported. According to Shafter Assistant Chief Diana Barnett, the department were dispatched to the high school, but they are not the investigating agency. “I can tell you that the kid is okay, but we are not doing the investigation,” said Barnett. “That is being conducted by Kern High School District Police. According to a release sent out by the Kern High...
The City Council approved a lease agreement that will allow American Refuse to utilize the old Corporation Yard to store their waste containers during the transition of the city going to a three cart system. Mayor Cathy Prout asked if the agreement was flexible if someone was interested in purchasing the property. Public Works Director Michael James said something could be worked out if there was interest in the property. James said the project should take no longer than one...
The Shafter Young Adult Theater presented the Broadway hit "Newsies" last weekend. The group, led by Director Chad Givens, most of the actors were learning on the job as far as the dancing goes. "Out of the entire company, there were two or three kids who are dancers. The rest of the cast were learning to dance as the production went on," said Givens. Newsies is based on a real story in which a strike took place with a number of newspaper deliverers and sellers, or "newsies,"...
Alicia Pompa, a freshman at Taft College, was recognized as the Player of the Week for the Taft Cougars Softball team last week, after going a combined 5-9 at the plate, while playing a perfect two games at shortstop. The Cougars took two games from visiting Ohlone College. They took game one of a doubleheader by a score of 11-3, and completed the sweep with a 7-3 win in the second game. Taft got 11 hits in the first game. In the game, Pompa had a two run double, ending the...
The city and GAF will be celebrating the Shafter Learning Center's new expanded area March 16. The ribbon cutting will be held at 4:30 p.m. at the center and everyone is welcome. After the ribbon cutting, attendees will be able to tour the new facilities. The new expansion includes new classrooms, outdoor areas with shade, as well as activity areas which can be used for different projects. Several city dignitaries will be on hand for the ribbon cutting, as well as representati...
Museum curator Stan Wilson will present the second in a series lectures at the Shafter Learning Center on Thursday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m. The subject of the lecture will be “The History of Shafter through the Centennial Playing Card” deck. Wilson is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to the history of Shafter and the role the city has played in Kern County’s history. Last month, Wilson presented the history of the life and times of our namesake, General William Shafter....
The city of Shafter is receiving a grant from the state of California that will mean a new life for the Shafter Aquatic Center, as well as improvements to its parks in the city. The Clean California grant, which the city applied for at the end of 2021, will give the city assistance in getting the Shafter Pool back in working order. The pool and Aquatic Center has been uninhabitable for the past two years, with the pool being drained and suffering damage, as well as to the...
Beginning March 11, masks will be recommended but not mandated at the Richland School District. Superintendent Rosa Romero sent a letter to parents regarding the change. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced he was updating the policy for mask wearing indoors for public schools. “Mask wearing is still strongly recommended and is an option for every student or staff member who wishes to wear one at any time,” Romero said in the letter. She said masks will be available for staff and students who request them. Romero also sai...
