Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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The Shafter Planning Commission welcomed its new members Tuesday night as they held their first meeting of 2025. At a recent City Council meeting, Armando Camacho, Joseph Simmons and John Sanchez were appointed to the commission for four-year terms. Sanchez had a term that expired in December, but expressed interest in serving another term and was selected to do so.At their first meeting of 2025, the members of the commission elected Lovedeep Joshen to serve as their chairman. Member David...
Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Shafter last week for a ceremony marking the groundbreaking of the California High-Speed Rail Authority Railhead Project. The railhead will serve as a freight yard where materials are received and track-laying work is staged, representing the initial step before the tracks are laid. The event also provided an opportunity to celebrate the substantial completion of Construction Package 4 (CP 4), the southernmost stretch of the initial operating line of the high-speed...
Phillip Jimenez joined the Shafter Recreation and Parks District in 2014, starting as a program coordinator and working his way up to district manager. A former collegiate athlete, he exemplifies the dedication of a public servant who left his hometown only to return and make a lasting impact on the lives of countless youth, adults and seniors in the community. After graduating from Shafter High School, Jimenez attended Southern Utah University on a football scholarship. He then transferred to...
Lorena Castillo is a Shafter-based artist who works with acrylics on large-scale surfaces and canvases. "Art breaks barriers and brings people together," she said in an interview last week. "It helps people share and learn about their culture and traditions. Art builds bridges between individuals and communities, bringing human connection." She is originally from Watsonville and moved to Shafter with her two children in 2018 to be with her mother after her father passed away. Over the past six...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched "Operation Return to Sender" last week in the Bakersfield area, including Wasco, sending a wave of fear among immigrants and farm workers. "They are terrorizing our communities, as among those targeted during random stops and raids have been essential workers who help sustain our food system," said Irene De Barraicua, director of policy and communications for Líderes Campesinas, a farm worker support organization. The operation took place over three da...
Kyle Wedel has been named Wasco High School's head varsity football coach. He has been the team's assistant coach for the last two years and assistant varsity baseball coach for the previous four years. He will also take on the role of head varsity baseball coach this year, taking over from his father.. Wedel, a lifelong resident of Wasco, graduated from WHS in 2013, where he played both baseball and football and was part of the 2012 Valley Championship football team. As head football coach, he...
The Wasco Community Scholarship Association application period for the 2025-2026 academic year is officially open. Wasco Union High School graduating seniors and alumni can now apply for scholarships to help fund their educational pursuits. Applications must be postmarked by March 3. For nearly 60 years, WCSA has been dedicated to empowering WUHS graduates to achieve their goals through education and life. Since its inception in 1965, the association has awarded over a million dollars in...
Karl F. Clemens Elementary School announced its Super Students for the week of Jan. 13. Criteria for selection were based on significant math improvement, showing kindness to all friends, respect and hard work, following class procedures, helping other students understand new concepts and improving learning English. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Vice Principal Angela Devin, Fabian Corona (5th grade), Janice Mo Noriega (kindergarten), Maria H. Torres (3rd grade), Oliver Romero (4th...
Colours: A Celebration of the Arts has been a tradition in the city for over 10 years, bringing creativity and inspiration to Shafter. This festival has become a cornerstone for showcasing artistic expression that uplifts and inspires. At the heart of the event lies its guiding mission statement: "It is our desire to help other people discover, create and enjoy transformed art. Transformed art is art that reflects what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute and worthy of praise....
Shafter's churches have long histories as cornerstones of the community. One of them is the Home Fellowship Church. One of its members wrote this chronicle of the church, the first in a series. What is now Home Fellowship Church began in a building on Highway 43 in Shafter in 1966. Pastor Ernie Byron Graeber and wife, Grace, pioneered and founded Full Gospel Tabernacle. Later Pastor Graeber bought the Boy Scout building in Shafter that would become the church, Shield of Faith. He pastored from...
The Kiwanis Club of Shafter held a special luncheon on Dec. 11 to honor local students selected as Terrific Kids for demonstrating exceptional responsibility in the classroom. Teachers nominated the students whose achievements were celebrated alongside their families and community members. Guests enjoyed lunch, and each student received a certificate, pencil, bumper sticker and t-shirt in recognition of their efforts. "We love acknowledging people who are responsible at all ages, but...
Wasco Elks Lodge 2419 is gearing up for its Leading Knight and Secretary Challenge Dinner, benefiting the “Purple Pig,” on Friday, Jan. 24. This event is a major fundraiser for the California-Hawaii Elks Association, which supports a wide range of programs for disabled individuals, children, veterans and youth. "The Purple Pig is one of our club's most prominent charities because most of the funds raised go to support significant projects in our community,” said Erik Brown, the event chair...
A common thread runs through discussions of Wasco's housing stock: a need for more housing beyond low-income residences. And it seems like the core issue is much like others in the region: a lack of water. Resident Sukie Martinez emphasizes the community's struggle to retain families like hers. Real estate expert Tilo Cortez points out that builders primarily focus on entry-level homes, often overlooking the demand for larger, move-up houses. This stagnation in development is compounded by a...
Luke and Jasmin Malone met at the age of 15 at Wasco High School and have two daughters, Hailie, 12, and Andy, 7. This year, they will celebrate 12 years of marriage. Together, they own Malone's Photography and share a passion for the art form. Jasmin had always loved photography, and five years ago, Luke bought her her first camera. "I'm impatient and tried learning it but let it go. Two years ago, he picked it up, and that's where it all began. He's always had an eye for it," Jasmin said in...
Dr. Kelly Foster Blanton served as Kern County's 18th Superintendent of Schools. Born on January 12, 1937, he passed away at 87 on Dec. 17. A dedicated educator, his work had a lasting impact on education in Kern County and beyond. Raised in Buttonwillow and Wasco, Blanton's life and career were profoundly shaped by his early experiences in the area. Blanton lived in farm labor camps and picked cotton alongside his family. Despite the challenges his family faced, his love for learning set him...
The Shafter Press and Wasco Tribune encourage local organizations to let the public know about coming events and activities through this column. Drop off or mail items at the office, 455 Kern St., Suite E, in Shafter, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, call 661-292-5100 or email [email protected]. Deadline is noon Thursday prior to publication. Updates will be on TheShafterPress.com and WascoTrib.com. ANNOUNCEMENTS “Purple Pig” fundraiser – Wasco Elks Lodge hosts its Leading Knight and Secretary Challenge Dinner, benefiting the Purpl...
Here's this week's challenge, courtesy of the Shafter Historical Society. If you know the location, circumstances, exact or rough date and/or people in the photo, send your educated (or semieducated) guess to The Press, 455 Kern St., Suite E, Shafter 93263, or e-mail it to mysteryphoto@The ShafterPress.com. Winners will be revealed here next week. LAST WEEK: Those answering The Press photographer's question in 1985 were, from left, Kathy Vieria, Angeline Merrigan, W.C. Walker, Clayton Plaster,...
Part of a continuing series highlighting local leaders, including members of the Wasco Recreation and Parks District board. Other stories can be found on WascoTrib.com. Oscar Luna is in his second year serving on the Parks and Recreation board, bringing to the role his experience as the assistant superintendent of the Wasco Union Elementary School District since July 2022. He also has nearly 15 years of experience in school administration. In addition, he has served as the president of the...
In March 2023, the City of Wasco received a $288,000 grant from UC Davis to partner with the SNIP Bus to expand the city's spay/neuter capacity. The partnership allows the SNIP Bus to hold free spay/neuter clinics monthly for three years, completing an estimated 1,800 surgeries. "Last year, we treated 210 dogs and 171 cats for a total of 381 animals, saving residents approximately $300 a piece per surgery," Public Works Director Luis Villa explained. The Spay Neuter Imperative Project is a...
4 years ago: Jan. 16, 1985 Former Mayor and City Council member Elmer Unruh received Shafter's Citizen of the Year award. --Compiled by Erica Soriano...
The Shafter City Council rejected a proposal to open the Shafter Aquatic Center's pool this year just for the Shafter High School swim team, so they would be able to practice in their own home pool for the first time in years. Council members were told at a special meeting Tuesday afternoon that there would be a gap of about $70,000 of the cost of operating the pool during that time, between what the Kern High School District usually pays for the use of the pool and the cost that would be required to have it open during ongoing reconstruction...
Here are second-half highlights of Shafter's year. Last week's first-half review can be seen on TheShafterPress.com. July Shafter saw thousands of people fill the Shafter High fields for the annual July 3 Fireworks show. There was also an activity area for the kids, with games and inflatables for the children to play on. Shafter's Minter Field Air Museum also was on hand, giving kids the chance to sit in the cockpit of their LOACH helicopter. The fireworks show was put on by Zamboli Fireworks, w...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club honored Barbara Gladden with the 2024 Community Service Award last month in appreciation of her nearly 50 years of dedicated community service. A Shafter native, Barbara is a selfless servant who works not for recognition but out of a genuine passion for helping others, club members said during the ceremony. Her deep commitment to making Shafter a better place for families and a special community for everyone to call home is truly inspiring. Arlie Smith, a longtime...
Gary Rodriguez joined the Shafter Recreation and Park District board in 2008 and considers one of his greatest accomplishments to be overseeing the process of acquiring state grant funding for the new Wonderful Sports Complex. "A big thank you to the other board members who played a significant part in making that process a success, including Phillip Jimenez and his staff, as well as our grant writer and consultant, Gilbert Garcia," he said in an interview last week. Rodriguez is enthusiastic ab...
Mike Russo of Russo Construction, contracted by Wonderful, has installed the new Colours sign on Highway 99 near Lerdo Highway. It's a reminder of this year's Colours: The Shafter Art Festival, Feb. 20-23. For more information, visit ShafterColours.org....
