Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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Shafter held its first First Friday event of the year on June 14, filling downtown with plenty for the entire family to do. Started last year, the First Friday events are put on to draw people to the downtown area of Shafter, as well as giving families in town a place to go on a Friday night, without having to go out of town to spend their dollars. The event had numerous food vendors, including Semper Fries, barbecue and homemade baked goods, as well as agua fresca and other drinks. There was...
The Shafter City Council approved a feasibility study to consider options for the use of the Modified Medium Correctional Facility that has been closed down for years. City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said that discussions with a sporting company resulted in an idea of turning the facility into a building for recreational use. Pickleball was mentioned as an alternative. Mayor Chad Givens said that pickleball has grown in popularity by 600 percent the past three years. Gonzalez said that the...
If the Wonderful Company has its way, over the next few years Shafter will become a major hub of industry between northern and southern California – even the east and west coasts – and will provide 40,000 new jobs in a vast inland railway terminal center, expanding its current industrial park at the southern edge of town. In an interview this week, John Guinn, manager of the project for the agriculture and industrial giant Wonderful and a former city manager who spearheaded the creation of the...
Shafter Mayor Chad Givens was disinvited as GROW Academy's keynote graduation speaker last week, after he said he refused to remove a Bible reference from his remarks. Despite being listed in the program for Thursday night's graduation, school officials announced at the event that Givens was "unable to attend."School officials had asked to see Givens' speech before the ceremony took place, the mayor said. The speech, according to Givens, contained a scripture from the Bible. He said a...
Shafter's First Fridays return to downtown on June 14, from 5 to 9 p.m. The event will include live music, a variety of food vendors, games, activities and shopping. The First Friday events were started last year, the brainchild of Mayor Chad Givens and a committee charged with improving and attracting business downtown. Despite a lukewarm reception from some in the city, Givens told the members of the cCity Council and the committee that the events would attract entire families to the downtown...
The GROW Academy of Shafter held its Promotion Ceremony at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School on Thursday, bidding farewell to its eighth grade class. This was the third such ceremony in GROW's history. opening its doors in 2017. Principal Lacie Harris welcomed a standing room only crowd to the event, celebrating the promotion of their children to the high school level in their educational careers. With the majority of the class moving on to attend Shafter High...
The Shafter Aquatic Center looks like it will re-open by the end of the year after a series of delays. The project was supposed to be completed by July 2024, giving the residents a summer of swimming. But the project needed more time for planning and design, according to city Public Works Director Michael James. The project is being funded through a $6-million grant to the city to resurface the pool, repair the heater and tile work. There also will be improvements to the building, which...
The Shafter City Council heard a couple of different options for their Shafter Railway at their meeting last week. The first option was to be purchased by BNSF, which is used to connect to their main line. The second option was to be used by third party transporters for their products, including connecting the two coasts. [Wonderful Company also has an interest in the railway. See separate story on Page 1.] There will be further discussion on the topic, with both options having merit, Mayor...
When my grandparents were in school, prayer was a regular part of the school day. But little by little, God has seemed to be squeezed out of the school system. I do agree with people who say that they shouldn’t be required to pray if it is not part of their lives. There are many different religions, belief systems and cultures in the United States, and I think that all of them have a right to practice their religion, as long as it doesn’t impede on someone else’s rights or beliefs. I cover...
A Shafter High golfer made history this year, becoming the first SHS golfer to qualify for the Southern California Regional tournament. Zale Mantas, a sophomore at SHS, placed seventh at the Regional, the first General to medal in the tournament, just missing the cut for the State tournament. As a team, the Shafter Generals won the SSL, but missed out on advancing to the Regional team playoffs by a few strokes. The Regional has all of the divisions in it, from the large school Division I to...
Shafter Mayor Chad Givens was disinvited as GROW Academy's keynote graduation speaker last week, after he said he refused to remove a Bible reference from his remarks. Despite being listed in the program for Thursday night's graduation, school officials announced at the event that Givens was "unable to attend."School officials had asked to see Givens' speech before the ceremony took place, the mayor said. The speech, according to Givens, contained a scripture from the Bible. He said a...
The Shafter High football stadium was the site for a celebration as students walked across the stage as seniors and stepped down as graduates. There were 410 graduates this year, one of the largest classes in Shafter High history. It also was memorable because they were freshmen that began their high school careers by studying online, the first class that was hampered by required distance learning, due to the covid-19 pandemic. The class didn't even get to gather in person for a year into their...
Over 250 Richland Junior High students celebrated their last night as Trojans last Thursday night, preparing themselves for four years as Shafter High Generals. This achievement is no small feat, and the rewards for the hard work were a diploma and a big welcome by Shafter High Principal Russell Shipley, who congratulated all of the graduates and said that he looked forward to meeting every one of them. There were two student speakers at the event, the valedictorian and the salutatorian, who...
The Shafter Learning Center and Library will be undergoing some renovations during June, so attention will move to the annual Reading Challenge that will be held from Monday, June 3, to Thursday, July 18. There will be work being done inside the building on a couple of new classrooms, giving the programs more room for the growing numbers that the Library and Learning Center have been attracting. The Reading Challenge will reward those readers who complete 20 books and a book reading log...
The Shafter City Council heard a couple of different options for the city's railway at their meeting last week. The first option was to be purchased by BNSF, which is used to connect to their main line. The second option was to be used by third party transporters for their products, including connecting the two coasts. There will be further discussion on the topic, with both options having merit, Mayor Chad Givens said at the Tuesday night meeting. Because Shafter's facility connects and runs...
The Shafter High Generals baseball team saw their season come to an end on Thursday afternoon as they dropped a heartbreaking game to SSL rival Chavez High School 4-2 in eight innings. Shafter had used a powerful offense in the second half of the season, pounding out hits and playing stellar defense, conquering all who were in their way. But the Generals didn't get that offensive performance in the State tournament games, relying on one big inning in each game to eke out victories. It worked in...
UPDATE: The body of a 16-year Kern County Sheriff's Department veteran was identified as the deceased man found in the Gossamer Grove area on Tuesday, May 21, the county Coroner's Office announced on Thursday. He died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the statement said. The man was identified as Senior Deputy Benjamin Alan Michael Harmonson, who began work with the Sheriff's Office in 2008. Harmonson, 36, was found in an unmarked patrol vehicle on Seventh Standard Road, and law...
The Shafter High School Senior Awards took place last Thursday, giving Shafter's seniors a total of over $100,000 in scholarships. The event was held at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center on the high school campus. Over 150 seniors were presented with scholarships, giving them a head start on their future educational journey. Principal Russell Shipley welcomed the family and friends of the students. "I am so excited and proud of this graduating class. They have been through so many...
The Shafter Generals' Jesus Figueroa added to his accolades last week as the Central Section's Scholar Athlete of the Year. Figueroa was named to the South Sequoia League's First Team for his prowess on the champion Shafter High Generals football team. He also excels in track and field, competing in running and jumping events, just missing qualifying for the State Track Meet this weekend in Clovis. Figueroa is not only a star on the field and track. He is also a star in the classroom. He was...
The community showed its support for their Shafter Police Department last week as they participated in National Police Week. In addition to the proclamations given out by Mayor Chad Givens to the different departments in the police force, residents participated in Project Blue Light. Police dispatchers and police officers were honored for their sacrifices in making Shafter one of the safest cities in the county, if not the state of California. Retired Assistant Police Chief Diana Burnett...
A new business opened in Shafter last weekend, a balloon and gift shop located on Central Avenue next door to Sno-Fun. Owned and operated by Judith and Noe Gonzalez, the store sells balloons, greeting cards, t-shirts and gifts for the family. A ribbon-cutting took place on Friday, with Mayor Chad Givens, Mayor Pro-Tem Cathy Prout and Councilmember Pete Espinoza on hand, as well as a good number of the community. Gonzalez said that he is so excited to be open, not only for the opportunity to...
A teacher at Sequoia Elementary School saw her case in a Bakersfield Superior Court postponed for the third time last week. Candie Springer is now scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday, June 6, on a felony count of child cruelty and a misdemeanor count of allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle. Last year, Springer allowed her then-15-year-old son to take her car for what she thought would be a quick trip to the market. Jace Springer instead picked up friends, sped on...
The Shafter High Generals baseball team headed to the semifinals of the Central Section Division V playoffs with a 3-1 victory over rivals Wasco High. Shafter used a three-run second inning to put up all of the runs they would need to take care of the visiting Tigers. The Generals used three pitchers in the contest, when starter Lukas Pena had a little trouble from the beginning of the game. Andy Gomez came in and promptly put the Tigers down in order. Gomez dominated until the sixth inning,...
VISALIA -- For the first time in the school's 96-year history, the Shafter High Generals are Valley Champs in baseball after an 8-0 rout of the Matilda Torres Toros on Friday at Valley Strong Park in Visalia. Shafter got their first run in the third inning of the Division V title game, getting three runs across on some timely hitting and quick base running. On the mound, Matteo Martinez pitched a masterpiece. Martinez allowed the Torros three hits through the first three innings, but shut the...
Mothers and sons in Wasco had a very special time on Saturday, attending the inaugural Mother-Son Dance, sponsored by the Wasco Parks and Recreation Department. The event attracted over 60 pairs and had a theme of the Wild West. Attendees came dressed in the Western outfits, complete with cowboy hats, blue jeans and boots. There was also a western-themed backdrop as they entered, with hay bales, balloons and horseshoes decorating it, giving each mother and son a chance to take a picture to...
