Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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In the only contested race this November involving Richland School Board candidates, newcomer Julian Armando Calvillo is vying for the seat in Area 3. He will be running against current president Deanna Rodriguez-Root. Calvillo is a college-prep tutor and college peer-mentor for the Wonderful College Prep Academy/Delano HS/McFarland HS. He has a long history of educating high school students. Calvillo said that he enjoys helping students achieve their educational goals. In...
The Minter Field Air Museum was faced with the challenge of holding a fundraiser that would be interesting for participants, as well as adhering to the county's safety and health guidelines pertaining to the current pandemic. The group decided to hold a drive-thru event with hot rods that cruised from Chevy's in Bakersfield out to Minter Field for an aviation and hot rod event. Ronald Pierce, of the museum, said that Minter Field was looking for ways to raise funds after the...
There are three seats on the Richland School Board up for grabs in November, with only one of the areas having two candidates in the race. Current Board of Trustees members Cain Maldonado and Tammy Criswell-Rubio are running unopposed in their Trustee areas, with current Board President Deanna Rodriguez-Root running against newcomer Julian Armando Calvillo in Area 3. Rodriguez-Root said that she decided to run again because she wants to follow through on the district's vision...
With the covid-19 virus still in the forefront of residents’ minds, flu season is arriving, threatening to make this season one of the worst in recent memory. Kern County Public Health Department officials are urging residents to get their flu shots now and not wait until the customary start of flu season, which is usually in late October. In fact, the County Health Department, which holds low-cost vaccination clinics annually, will not be receiving its vaccine supply until October. However, the vaccine is available at v...
Bryce Atkins has been hired by the city as the new administrative services director. Atkins began working for Shafter in July and was previously with the City of Gilroy. He has been working in city government for 14 years. Atkins has experience as an analyst, finance manager, interim finance director and city manager working in the fields of budgeting, anaylsis, financial management, policy development and grant and contract management. “The city is extremely impressed with Mr. Atkins’ credentials, financial experience and...
A blank space on a building will become a Wall of Dreams after a few students in Shafter wanted to help beautify it. Advisors Melissa Bergen and Katie Wiebe, from the nonprofit organization Listen To Shafter, encouraged the girls to write their dream for the wall down on paper, making them real and attainable. "We have helped the kids realize their dream, but the real credit for the project goes to those students who voiced that desire and helped make it happen," said Bergen....
There are three seats on the City Council open this November and the race to fill them involves the three current members whose terms are expiring and three new candidates. Last week, we met candidate Kris Lawrence. In this issue, we will be introducing Pete Espinoza. Espinoza has been a Shafter resident for 54 years and he said that he has always enjoyed being a part of such a caring community. Espinoza said that he feels that after being a part of this community, he feels...
Residents struggling to pay their rent or mortgage now can apply for assistance. The program, sponsored by the Bakersfield Homeless Collaborative, Community Action Partnership, and the Housing Authority of Kern, is geared toward Kern County residents who have been impacted by the pandemic. Residents can receive a one-time payment up to $5,000 paid directly to the mortgage company or landlord. To be eligible, the resident must pay at least 30% of their income toward housing...
A Shafter man was killed after a crash on Burbank Avenue Monday morning. The Shafter Police Department responded to a call involving an accident at approximately 7 a.m. on Monday. A driver of a gray Nissan, later identified as Maribel Pimentel Lopez, 30, was stopped at the intersection of Burbank and Scaroni avenues. Lopez didn't notice the driver of a Chevrolet SUV approaching the intersection and pulled into the path of the Chevy, resulting in the Nissan being hit on the...
In a series that begins this week, we will be featuring the candidates running for the three open City Council seats this year. The candidates who are running are current council members Gilbert Alvarado, Chad Givens and Manuel Garcia, along with newcomers Rafael Zamudio, Kris Lawrence and Pete Espinoza.This week, we will be featuring Lawrence. Lawrence is a regulatory coordinator for the Westside Water Authority. He is a mechanical engineer and handles regulatory compliance f...
At its recent meeting, the City Council voted unanimously to send a Letter of Intent to Bakersfield College to begin talks to form a partnership operating the Shafter Library. In a recent announcement, the Kern High School District recommended the reopening of 12 of its 24 branch libraries, in which Shafter was not included. This decision would result in the Shafter Library remaining closed indefinitely. With the budgetary restraints experienced by the district, and the...
The City of Shafter teamed up with Shafter High School and Houchin Blood Bank to hold a Blood Drive at Mannel Park on Sept. 10. The drive was geared toward students, but was open to adults as well. The turnout was great and lives were helped with the generosity of the Shafter community. During this time of the covid-19 crisis, blood is needed to replenish supplies for patients in need, as well as needing plasma for covid-19 patients to help in their healing process. Students who donated blood at the drive received a limited e...
The number of new cases of the coronavirus are still on the rise, despite an effort to have residents wear face masks when downtown or shopping. The City of Shafter and a group of community members have been working on the face mask campaign. Digital signs can be seen throughout town encouraging residents to wear a mask to stop the spread of the virus. City buildings remain closed to the public, with service being conducted in the back of the building, with a window serving...
The Richland School Board was given a presentation for a Return to School plan that will see the return of small groups of students to each school, called cohorts. The plan, which is still in the draft phase, would have groups of no more than 16 people, including staff, that will be in one classroom. At the beginning of the school year, the district was prepared to open school with in-person learning, with a multitude of safety precautions in place to meet health and safety...
Shafter saw 47 new cases of covid-19 in the last week, which is an increase of about 10 percent over the week before. With most of the businesses in town following the safety precautions set by the Kern County Public Health Department and the city launching a campaign urging residents to wear masks when shopping or going downtown, Shafter had seen its fight against the virus take a turn for the better until last week. Shafter has now had 1,147 confirmed cases since the pandemi...
The City Council is looking to appoint three people to each serve a four-year term on the Shafter Planning Commission beginning in January. The commission is made up of five members appointed by the City Council. Current members of the commission are Bob Wiebe, Ron Nunlist, Kirk Mouser, Jon Johnston and Peter Frantz. Frantz, Johnston and Mouser have terms that expire in December, which makes it necessary to fill their seats. The Planning Commission reviews and acts on matters related to planning and development in Shafter....
With much of the nation attempting to reduce funding for police departments, a Police Reform Bill, AB1299, has passed the California Legislature with bipartisan support. The bill was authored by local Assemblyman Rudy Salas. It is designed to help prevent local departments from hiring officers who have a history of serious misconduct. Salas, who represents the 32nd District, which includes Shafter and Wasco, said his bill will help hold departments accountable when hiring new officers. “We need to ensure that our local p...
There will be six candidates on the ballot come November for the Shafter City Council. Three seats will be up for grabs, with Mayor Gilbert Alvarado, Chad Givens and Manuel Garcia having their terms expiring in December. All three Council members will be running to retain their seats. Three other candidates will be looking to fill them, with all three candidates running for the first time. Kris Lawrence, Rafael Zamudio and Pete Espinoza will join the three incumbents in the ra...
As many businesses, clubs and organizations face challenges due to the pandemic, a local non-profit is thriving due to a tremendous show of support from its friends in the community. Shafter Healthy Start, which is operated by the Richland School District, has seen its coffers filled with the generosity of Shafter's business community and a multitude of residents who have stepped up in the midst of their own challenges to show support for the youth of Shafter. The most recent...
With the climate of the home, workplace, and cities changing because of the current pandemic, residents are rethinking their priorities. With schools incorporating distance learning into their plans and workers telecommuting, adapting homes to meet the new demands can be challenging. A local builder has taken the situation into consideration and is designing new homes with technology and floor plans that accommodate homeowners' changing needs. Lennar Homes at Gossamer Grove...
The City Council has approved a letter opposing widening the scope of what peace officer personnel records can be disclosed. The letter, which will be sent to the state Sen. Nancy Skinner, argues against Senate Bill 776. In it, the council states the measure is excessive in the types of personnel records it makes subject to disclosure and is overly punitive when it comes to the fines imposed for violations. Currently, records of incidents involving any use of force by a peace...
Lance Corporal Nathan Gonzalez graduated from the Marine Corps Military Police Academy at Marcordet Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, on August 18, 2020. Gonzalez received the Distinguished Honor Graduate by finishing at the top of his class with an average of 97.86 throughout his training. He received letters of commendation and was meritoriously promoted to lance corporal. Gonzalez is a 2019 Shafter High School graduate and is the son of Mike Gonzalez of Shafter and Tiffany...
The Richland School District has named interim Superintendent Rosa Romero as the district's permanent superintendent, signing a three-year contract. Romero had been the interim superintendent since late 2019, after the resignation of Dago Garcia. She is facing a school year that has begun with distance learning, which has been a requirement for districts in counties on the state's watch list. Recently Governor Newsom announced that schools will be allowed to open the school...
With many businesses closed or offering reduced services, the challenge of raising funds for local clubs and organizations has been daunting. There can be no events with large gatherings or events that do not follow the safety guidelines put forth by the governor and Kern County. But Shafter and its non-profit organizations are finding creative solutions to today's challenges. For example, the Shafter Kiwanis Club, continuing a tradition that has been going for decades, is...
he city of Shafter has begun a campaign encouraging residents to wear a mask in public, aiming to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Digital signs have been placed at different points of Lerdo and Central Valley highways. Several residents are still concerned that not enough people are wearing a mask in the downtown and residential areas. Deanna Rodriguez-Root, a member of the Richland Board of Trustees, said more needs to be done to make sure residents are adhering to the...
