Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Third in a series of articles highlighting the candidates for Miss Wasco Rose Queen. Prior stories may be read on WascoTrib.com. It's that time of year when 15 young ladies will compete for the coveted title of Miss Wasco Rose Queen. The pageant will take place at the historic Wasco High School Auditorium on Thursday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. It promises to be a vibrant show where the contestants will bring the best of their talents to the competition. Madison Martinez is one of...
Prosecutors on Tuesday declined to file charges against Cesar Zarate-Hernandez, 20, for the shooting death of Jose Eduardo Lopez Delgadillo, 29, in Wasco, citing insufficient evidence, a District Attorney's Office spokesperson said. The case has been returned to the Kern County Sheriff's Office for more investigation. Officials said Delgadillo was shot around midnight on June 26 on Bay Meadow Drive. He died at the scene. According to sheriff's officials, Hernandez was...
The Wasco Woman's Club held its annual meet and greet event Tuesday morning to recruit new members. Sukie Martinez is the second vice president in charge of membership. "We invited fellow women in the community to come and get to know who we are, what we do and what we stand for," she said. The Wasco Woman's Club is a service organization that will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. The club supports many charitable efforts, including providing scholarships,...
The Wasco Recreation and Parks District will present its "Reach for the Sky Color Blast Fun Run" to add more excitement and community engagement to this year's Wasco Rose Festival activities lineup. The event will occur on Saturday, Sept. 9, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Barker Park Little League Shelter #5. "The Color Blast Fun Run is a friendly race that involves a 3K Fun Walk and 5K Fun Run with participants taking part for enjoyment rather than competition," WRPD Manager...
Thomas Yasenchak has a passion for education and a desire to make a positive impact in the lives of his students. Becoming the new principal of Wasco Independence High School happened naturally, as he climbed through the ranks of administration. Yasenchak has been in education for 24 years and most recently worked at Cesar E. Chavez High School as a learning director. Before that, he was an English teacher at Wasco High for 10 years. Apart from his experience in education, he...
The Wasco High School varsity and junior varsity cross country teams are poised for another successful season. With practice underway, they are working hard to win the South Sequoia League and make it into the Valley Championship. Omar Garcia is one of three head coaches, along with Rafael Gonzalez and Leo Sanchez. He has coached both the varsity and junior varsity teams since 2015. "We're building," Garcia siad. "The boys are getting stronger every year, as more and more...
The Miss Wasco Rose Queen Pageant is set for Thursday, Sept. 7, with 15 young ladies gracing the stage for a chance to take home the title. Aleena Lopez is one of the enthusiastic and vibrant contestants. She has enjoyed the experience so far. "I love spending time with all the lovely girls that are also running and enjoy learning new things from the amazing coordinators." She said if she wins, she will feel blessed and honored to be the new queen of Wasco. "And overwhelmed...
The Wasco Elk Ladies will host "Wine and Roses Under the Stars" on Friday, Sept. 8, as part of this year's Rose Festival activities. It will be an honored guest reception as a tribute to the 2023 Grand Marshals, the late Charles Wedel and his family. Serving as Honorary Grand Marshals will be the Wasco VFW Post 6742. The Miss Wasco Rose Queen and featured artists also will be recognized. Last year was the first time the Elk Ladies presented the Wine and Roses event and was als...
Comida Travel in Wasco provides personalized, boutique-style advisory service to ensure one makes the best of their trip with the help of a knowledgeable and seasoned travel professional. Katie Moreno is the owner. By day she is a special assignment teacher at Wasco High School, assisting other teachers with classroom technology and state testing in the Spring. She is also the advisor of the high school's Traveling Tigers Club. She has taken students to Spain, Italy and...
Wasco Is, a popular social media platform on Facebook and Instagram whose mission is to promote all that is good in Wasco, celebrates six years online this month. Since its inception, it has grown to be a valuable resource for the community, providing news and sharing stories of success. Community activist Sharon Sharp is the founder. "I started Wasco Is because I wanted to have a place where we could share about all the good things that happen in Wasco." Between both...
At a special meeting on Tuesday, city Finance Director Isarel Perez-Hernandez provided a Measure X sales tax update indicating that the projected revenues generated for fiscal 2023-24 are estimated at $3.125 million During the general election of November 2016, the citizens of Wasco approved Measure X, a local one-cent sales tax. As a result, sales taxes increased on April 1, 2017. Historical Measure X revenue went from $2,059,432 in 2017-18 and peaked in 2021-22 at...
The Charles Wedel family will lead the 2023 Wasco Rose Festival as grand marshals, and Wasco VFW Post 6742 will be the honorary grand marshals, organizers announced last week. The Orange Heart Foundation and Wasco Rose Festival committee announced the selections late last month. "We are excited to honor the late Charles Wedel and his family, as well as the VFW for their years of service to our community," Orange Heart Foundation secretary/Wasco Rose Festival group member...
There was a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the Poso Avenue High-Speel Rail underpass that is now open to traffic. The Poso Avenue underpass is located between Highway 43 and J Street. It has four lanes and pedestrian access, taking traffic and pedestrians under the BNSF freight railroad and future high-speed rail tracks. The Poso Avenue underpass is 1,084 feet long, 67 feet wide and 21 feet below grade. The underpass is the latest structure to be opened to...
Mayor Pro Tem Alex Garcia announced his candidacy for the Kern County Supervisor District 4 position earlier this week. David Couch has held the seat since 2013, and is the only other announced candidate. "I am running because the Board of Supervisors can use a fresh perspective and a rural voice in leadership," Garcia said. "Kern County is at a pivotal point, and now more than ever, I think our rural communities can be a part of what the future looks like in Kern." He was...
The city plans to spend over $34,000 to build Dial-A-Ride shelters in town, using Kern County Low Carbon Transit Operations Project funds to pay for them. "The idea is that we have locations where we routinely pick up and drop off Dial-A-Ride riders," City Manager Scott Hurlbert commented on the Transit Bus Shelters project, "We are looking for the funding to establish bus stop-style shelters, a place for people to wait under the shade." "They are more expensive than you...
Johnny Martinez has been a pastor with Westside Family Fellowship for 17 years. Over this time, he has touched many lives through the word of Christ. He said the church's mission is to proclaim Christ, which is salvation to the human soul. "We want to project love. That is why we do the programs that we do." The church provides a vital role in helping to feed the community. Every fourth Thursday, there is a farmers market for people that not only come from Wasco, but from as...
The Wasco FFA chapter and Wasco AG Boosters will host its 4th annual Charles Craig Classic for Wasco, Shafter, Delano, Taft and McFarland students. The competition will be held at the WHS farm laboratory on Saturday, Sept. 9, and Sunday, Sept. 10. The event honors the late Dr. Charles Craig, who served as an ag instructor for many years in the Wasco Union High School District. While serving the district, he overcame many obstacles that would have otherwise prevented students...
Iola Moore-Smiley was born in 1935 and moved to California with her family in 1938, first making their way to Pond and later moving to Wasco in 1941, where she lived for almost 20 years. She wrote a book, "The Moore Kids," about her experience growing up in Wasco. Originally from Oklahoma, the family moved west because her father couldn't find work. Iola attended elementary, junior high and high school in Wasco. Some of her most cherished memories are of these times, she...
The City Council approved several resolutions in support of the development of the Wasco Police Department at their meeting Tuesday night. A highlight was the approval to purchase five new Ford Utility Interceptor AWD police vehicles, including emergency lighting and upfitting equipment for slightly over $401,000. The council additionally approved an agreement with American Business Machines to design, install and support an upgrade of the city security project for $367,386....
Strata Credit Union will open its doors in October/November of this year. It will be a resource to residents by providing a local option to traditional banks. Founded in 1949, Strata Credit Union is a federally insured, not-for-profit financial cooperative that serves Bakersfield and Kern County. The bank offers a wide range of financial products and services, including checking and savings accounts, loans, credit cards and investment products. "Strata Credit Union is...
Councilmember Gilberto Reyna has a long history as a community activist dating even before June 2015, when he was appointed to serve on the City Council and later as mayor pro tem. In December of 2017, he was selected by the council to hold the position of mayor for 2018, five months in 2021 and a year term in 2022. He said seeing a need to improve the health and safety of residents motivated him to embark on a career in politics. "That was my initial motivation to become a...
The Miss Wasco Rose Queen Pageant will take place on Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Wasco High School Auditorium. This year 15 young women are competing for the coveted title, and the theme is Barbie. They are Abigail Martinez, Alyse Biggs, Natalia Crane, Amaia Marquez, Aleena Lopez, Ruby Macias, Addison Vasquez, Yesenia Hernandez, Devanie Caban, Xitlalic Trujillo, Monique Martinez, Madison Martinez, Esmeralda Rodriguez, Jasmine Barbosa and Silvia Inzunza. There are four pageant di...
The city has been awarded $5 million for the development of a new Wasco Police Department station, which will be built at the current Kern County Sheriff’s Office substation site. Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains led the effort to secure the funding in the state budget for direct investments to improve public safety and the quality of life for residents of Kern County. State Sen. Melissa Hurtado also strongly advocated for the funds. The funding also included $5 million e...
Deterring crime in the city has been an elusive goal for years for the Kern County Sheriff's Office and Wasco city leadership. Now, the chief of the new Wasco Police Department, Charlie Fivecoat says he will do what it takes to address public safety. "We are still in the process of establishing the Police Department, and crime prevention strategies are still being developed. Ultimately, we will have a visible presence in the community, and all our enforcement strategies will...
Alvie Snow Farms was established in 1952 and named for the owner, Alvie, who moved from Oklahoma to Wasco in 1951. Alvie died in a farm accident on his property in 1979 at age 62. The farm then passed to his wife, Betty, daughter Beverly and his two sons, Ronnie and Ricky. Ronnie's son Casye is also farming now, so it's third generation operation. They grow almonds and alfalfa, but before farmed mainly cotton, alfalfa, sugar beets and grains. "Cotton got to the point where...
