Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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Fourth of July is upon us once again, and my blood starts to boil. No, not because of the 100-plus degree heat wave we are in, but it is the reemergence of my nemesis, the fireworks stands. I hate to see those contraptions scattered throughout the city, selling those balls of fire in a can. I really enjoy the fireworks show that the city puts on, with the awesome displays of color, done by professionals. It is the cardboard boxes filled with explosives that injure and maim hundreds every year...
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 taught the residents...
It is that time of year again. The weather is warming, trees and plants are needing to drink more water to keep that green hue, and there are the sounds of bombs bursting in air. No, you are not in downtown Baghdad. You are in Shafter coming close to the Fourth of July. Yes, the city seems to be under siege, and it’s not some terrorist organization, it is all friendly fire. This year seems to be a lot worse than any in recent memory. You can’t go one night without seeing a bunch of illegal firew...
With this pandemic still in the headlines, and the Governor’s stay at home order still in place, people are getting antsy to get back outside, living their lives fully, without hinderances. Well, I think that we are a long way from that right now. Even when businesses start to open up, schools gear up to open back up in August, and our beloved sports teams are back in action, there will still be certain precautions and requirements in place for awhile. This really is just common sense. The w...
The coronavirus pandemic has affected not only the city's different businesses, the schools, and city office buildings, but it is also touching other phases of everyday life. For the individuals who pick up our garbage, there is an added challenge to their already demanding job, as they must navigate their way through the process of emptying our trash, not knowing if that household had been touched by the virus or not. Coupled with this challenge is the fact that so many residents are either...
Well, 2019 is in the rear view mirror, and the next decade is underway. This past year has been such a busy one for me. It has been full of some great times, like having a job that I just love, covering events, writing, taking photos and always learning. This job is really different every week, you never know what is going to happen. I am so thankful for this job, doing something that I love to do. It has also been a good one in our family, with everyone staying relatively healthy, safe, and...
Veterans Day was this week. It was recognized with a parade in Bakersfield and a large crowd came out to honor the men and women who have served or currently serve in our branches of the military. It is sad to see that more and more the holiday is celebrated for being a day off of school or work, or just one more day you don’t have to worry about getting that load of bills in the mail. Well, when it was first started back in 1918, it stood for the end of World War I. It was a day to recognize t...
You can smell it in the air. The green grass is being tended, the fields being prepared for another season of gridiron battles. This is my favorite time of the year, as the football teams begin practice, each team looking for that big season in which they are on top of their respective leagues, that dream of a championship in their sights. It seems that on the college level, and even on the high school level, the challenges schools face are pretty much the same each year. Sometimes, the challeng...
It has been a rough couple of months. It seems that there hasn’t been a week that I haven’t felt sick. I have been sick off and on for over two months. My wife was sick for quite awhile too and it has to be something going around. Well, I have probably taken more medication the past couple of months than I have in the past two years combined. I took cold medicine, sinus medication, am on high blood pressure medication now. It seems to never end. How many times have we suffered through a col...
I wrote an editorial last month that was really tough for me. We had lost our dog TJ, leaving a big hole in my heart that I didn't think would ever get filled again. When we first lost him, I didn't even want to think about getting another dog. People would tell me that getting another dog would be the best thing for me. I couldn't imagine ever having to go through that again. It hurt so much that I couldn't think about it. I would look around the house, or even do small things like taking out...
Well, the Colours Festival is almost upon us, and I am getting excited about going to the events. Every year, it seems it keeps getting better. I never realized how many talented people, we have in our communities until they had an avenue to display it, such as this event. Everyone has different tastes in art, as with anything else, and this event has something for all tastes. If you don’t find a play to be very interesting, maybe you will be intrigued by the sculptures and paintings in the A...
I have had a really bad holiday season this year, one of the worst in a very long time. We had to put our dog down the day after Christmas. TJ was more than just a pet, but was a true member of our family, and I miss him so much already. I remember first seeing TJ at the Wasco Animal Shelter, shy and timid, not jumping up and down like a lot of the dogs who were fighting for attention, looking for that new home. He just looked at me with those big brown eyes, a little frightened and shaking a...
