Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Many items cannot go in the usual garbage and the hazardous household waste collection event is a way to get rid of those items. On Saturday, Feb. 13, Kern Public Works will be holding an event for anyone needing to dispose of hazardous materials. Due to the pandemic, the last event was canceled. This event will be held rain or shine. The containers of waste meant for this event are those that are too toxic for the regular trash. Among the accepted materials are batteries, motor oil, paints, light bulbs, sharps (needles),...
City Hall office buildings reopened to the public on Monday, Feb. 8, with social distancing and the requirement of facial coverings to be worn by all who enter the buildings. For the safety of the customers and the staff, these requirements will be in place until further notice. Those customers who need to speak to city staff other than to make utility payments can make appointments for in-person transactions. All other city offices are open as well, including planning...
With restaurants facing the challenge of drawing diners during the pandemic, a lot of businesses are altering their service options, menus, and hours. In Shafter, there is a restaurant that has been drawing diners from all over Kern County and the pandemic has not slowed the appeal. In 2016, El Michoacano Restaurant, on Central Avenue next to Bank of America, was visited by Pete Tittl, the food critic for the Bakersfield Californian. Tittl was celebrating his anniversary and...
The Richland School District has returned to distance learning after implementing a return to campus in late November. With a number of teachers and parents unhappy with the decision, a petition had begun circulating that would return the district back to distance learning. This past week, the decision was made to have the district suspend the return to school plan. According to Superintendent Rosa Romero, the decision to return to distance learning was not the result of the...
The City Council approved a proclamation for the month of February as Safely Surrender Babies Month, which is a program started a few years ago to give mothers an option to safely surrender their baby within 72 hours of birth at any Kern County hospital emergency room or fire station. Jana Sagle, of the Kern County Human Services, told the council a little about the program, which has been responsible for eight babies to be surrendered safely in Kern County. The program...
Although the pandemic has dampened their season, the Shafter Generals will have a newly renovated stadium to look forward to once they can play again. Renovations have begun on a brand new stadium for Shafter High School, with the demolition of the homestands and portions of the track last Monday. The project, which will cost between $7-8 million, is expected to take approximately 305 days to complete. According to Principal Russell Shipley, they are hoping to be finished by...
Over the weekend on Atlantic Avenue, a dozen vendors gathered to sell their wares from their home-based businesses. The items included jewelry, soaps, sweets, baked goods, and beauty accessories. One of those vendors was Paola Castro, who began making custom door mats during the pandemic to sell to bring in some extra cash. Castro purchases the mats at a major retailer and paints them with different logos, sayings and pictures. She produces a variety of them to bring to...
Shelbee Ramos, Shafter's Distinguished Young Woman for 2020, competed in the state competition over the weekend and received a special award. The event was done virtually this year because of the covid-19 limitations, just as the local competition was held, with the performances sent online and the interviews being done via Zoom. Ramos said that the competition was a great learning experience and she had such a good time competing in all of the phases, even though it wasn't...
If you have ever attended a Distinguished Young Woman program, formerly known as the Junior Miss program, you undoubtedly have heard of one of Shafter's beloved icons, Karolyn Kay Millwee. Millwee passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy in the community. Born in 1938, Millwee served the community for over five decades. Millwee moved to Shafter when she was a young child and she graduated from Shafter High in 1956. She married Robert Millwee in 1960 and were married for...
New businesses are popping up in the city as the pandemic lingers in the nation. The newest addition is going to be the Countryside Car Wash, which will be located at 406 Central Ave. The city sold the property to Rick Jara, whose family owns and operates Taco Bell in town. The property used to house Brookside Deli and the Shafter Press office. Jara will be building the first drive-thru car wash in Shafter. It will add approximately 30 jobs and will also offer a deli-market as well. This will be the family’s second car w...
The city had 200 new cases of covid-19 in the last week, according to reports. That brings total number of cases since the pandemic began to 3,085 with about 1,135 presumed as recovered. The campaign to get residents to wear masks has seen higher participation, enabling residents to go shopping or get gas with their masks on. The school district has begun opening classrooms again for in-person learning, ordering Richland School District employees back to work. A petition has been circulated stating that a number of teachers...
There has been a rise in property crimes, including theft, in the last year, Shafter Police Chief Kevin Zimmermann said. He said one factor that has played a "more significant role" than the pandemic in drug and property crimes has been the release of thousands of state inmates ordered by Gov. Gavin Newsom in July. "We have found a different type of criminal now," Zimmermann said. "Instead of a low-level criminal who we do not consider as very dangerous necessarily, we are...
The city is still offering free brush and limb collection until the end of February. Those residents who live south of Lerdo Highway can expect the city to pick up limbs in their neighborhoods from now to Jan. 31, and Feb.16 to Feb. 28. Shafter residents who live north of Lerdo Highway will get serviced from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15. Leave piles of leaves in public streets, not in alleys. Residents also need to make piles less than 10 feet in length, as well as leaving at least two...
Residents can now pay their utility bills online again after the payment system was restored. Customers may pay online or via telephone. The recent bills were sent the week of Jan. 11 through Jan. 15. These bills did not include payments made on or after Dec. 1, 2020. Autopay will resume Feb. 2. In other business, the City Council unanimously approved the administrative budget for fiscal year 2021-22 last Friday during a special meeting. It also unanimously approved the...
The Public Works Department will be holding a household hazardous waste collection on Saturday, Feb. 13 for anyone needing to dispose of hazardous materials. Due to the coronavirus outbreak and inclement weather, the last event was canceled. The containers of waste accepted are those that are too toxic for the regular trash. Among the accepted materials are batteries, motor oil, paints, light bulbs, sharps (needles), pool chemicals, automotive products, cleaning products and...
New Mayor Cathy Prout has some goals for the city as Shafter continues to grow during the pandemic. With a 5-0 vote, the council selected Prout to serve as the city's mayor for the next two years. Prout said there are some challenges facing the city and she is looking forward to working with the council and discussing the ways Shafter can move forward. "We are discussing having a strategic planning meeting that will give the group a chance to voice concerns and ways that...
The Richland School District has recently implemented a return to classroom plan that has the board, as well as the community, at odds. The district has started a hybrid return to school plan that has students in the classroom for in-person instruction. Small cohorts are in classrooms, with no more than 16 students in one class. Not all teachers and students are on board with the new plan. With the invitation out there for students to return to the classroom, about 20% of the...
he City Council approved an ordinance change that would allow the sales and repair of firearms in the city. A zoning change was required to make this possible. A proposed business, which will sell firearms, as well as repair them and sell ammunition, is slated to open on Central Avenue in downtown. The location would also sell other sporting goods equipment. There is a requirement that goes with the ordinance, which states that the business would have to get a permit approved...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce has canceled the annual Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet, which was scheduled for February. Each year individuals and organizations are nominated for their contributions in making the city a great place to live and raise a family. Last year's recipients included Basham & Lara Funeral Care for their commercial remodel and Jackson Sanchez as the Young Person of the Year. New Superintendent of Richland School District Rosa Romero was also among...
Farmers have felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as they have worked to keep residents fed and many have not been able to qualify for assistance programs. Almost a year after the beginning of the pandemic, local farmers said the impact has been great. "We have seen a big slowdown in the movement of goods from one source to another, either because of staff of truck drivers hauling the goods, or the amount of people needed to load them," said farmer Larry Kroeker, who...
Richland schools have been utilizing distance learning since the beginning of the pandemic and it has not been easy. Several instances of trouble with connectivity has hindered the process, according to some parents. “I have had a lot of trouble with the internet, either logging in or sometimes with getting a good connection,” said Maria Ocana, who has two grade-school-aged children attending Richland schools. “Otherwise, the teachers are doing a great job and my kids love the classes.” Each school site has its own staff t...
The Homestead Series by Lennar Homes is now available, as Lennar Homes invites prospective homebuyers to tour the houses through virtual tours, self-guided tours or personal tours by appointment. The Gossamer Grove area of Shafter has been growing steadily, with new homes becoming available and prospective commercial areas ready for development. Included in the plans for the future for the community are more parks, schools, retail stores and businesses, and a variety of...
The city has seen the number of new cases of covid-19 increase last week, despite campaigns to slow the spread. Last week, there were 237 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,698 since the start of the outbreak. Of those cases, there have been over 800 cases confirmed as recoveries and over 500 cases assumed recovered. Shafter has had a face covering campaign in place for over two months now, with the aim to slow the number of cases in the city. As...
The Shafter Colours Committee has announced that the 2021 festival has been canceled. "We are sorry that we have had to come to this conclusion, but we will see you all in 2022," said Larry Starrh, one of the founders of the festival. Starrh, along with several other community members, wondered a few years ago what would happen if they brought together a group of events, all related to a form of transformed art. They welcomed theater, an art gallery, movies, sculptures,...
Highway 43 between Los Angeles and Galpin streets may be expanding after the City Council approved a survey. Shoulder work will be done along this route, increasing the safety of the roadway. The work has been discussed for months, with studies being done to compare the feasibility of the project to the needs of the project. The city has turned to companies to complete the survey in a timely manner so they will be able to use the funds available. In 2019, Shafter received...
