Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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Lennar Homes is building its final phase of construction, with the 416 homes going up in the high $300,000 range. The development has a variety of floor plans, from 3- to 5-bedroom homes available. This is also near the site of the newest park, Community Park, that opened recently in the development. This phase of the 3,280-unit development is also the first batch of homes that will be in the Richland School District. In size, Gossamer Grove compares with 5,280 houses in the core city of...
Caleb Privett, a Shafter High senior, will ring in the new year in the United Kingdom, leading a band through downtown London as part of their New Year's Day Parade. Caleb is excited about the opportunity and is looking forward to going overseas to continue his musical journey. He began playing in the school band in the seventh grade and is proficient in the bass guitar, tuba and trombone. He is the head drum major at Shafter High, conducting the music and leading the team during their on-field...
The Shafter High Generals opened their season with a convincing win over the West High Vikings on Thursday night, 55-7. The Shafter squad is still a young one, with the majority of the team being in their sophomore year, including quarterback Ezekiel Osborn. Osborn lit up the Vikings in the game for 7 touchdowns, three of them to Maryon Sloan. Sloan ended the game with five catches. Jesus Figueroa had an amazing game, gathering in six receptions for a total of 217 yards, including a 62 yard...
The Shafter Recreation and Parks District has their volleyball season in full swing, having completed three weeks of the season. There are 15 teams in the different divisions, with some very competitive play across the board. In the 11U Division, the Dominators are currently in first place, with only one loss on their record, going 4-1 so far this season. They are tied with the Blue Jays at the top, with identical records. Close behind at 3-2 is the Red Dragons. The Dominators are coached by...
Caleb Carrasco, a Shafter High senior, will ring in the new year in the United Kingdom, leading a band through downtown London as part of their New Year's Day Parade. Carrasco is excited about the opportunity and is looking forward to going overseas to continue his musical journey. Caleb began playing in the school band in the seventh grade and is proficient in the bass guitar, tuba and trombone. He is the head drum major at Shafter High, conducting the music and leading the team during their on...
The Shafter Lions Club, partnering with Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, held their annual Stuff the Bus event in Shafter on Saturday, helping the students of Richland School District to be properly prepared for the school year. "This event shows the outstanding support that the community of Shafter gives to its students," said Gilbert Alvarado, of the Shafter Lions Club. During the event, donations were accepted at the Dollar General store parking lot, with a large school bus ready to house the it...
Ronald Pierce, director of the Minter Field Air Museum, said that it is still hard to believe the museum's good fortune in the past few weeks, being awarded a $40,000 donation to help them complete a repainting of the museum and other projects. Pierce said that an article was published in the Bakersfield Californian a few weeks ago, regarding the need for volunteers and funds to help the museum. A few days later, Pierce received a call from a gentleman that said he was with a foundation that...
Second in a series of articles introducing Richland's new teachers to the community. Veronica Garcia is one of two new teachers this year at Golden Oak Elementary School. Garcia was born in Bakersfield, but she grew up in Shafter, attending Richland School District Schools and graduating from Shafter High School. Garcia worked at Golden Oak Elementary for several years as an instructional aide. She graduated from Cal State Bakersfield with a degree in liberal studies. Garcia has been married to...
Local farmer Marc McCaslin was featured on the television show American Pickers recently, showcasing his relics for the nation. McCaslin, who has a hobby of collecting antiques and fixing up old vehicles and older mechanical items, contacted the History Channel over four years ago when he found out that the Pickers team, including hosts Mike Wolfe and "Jersey Jon" Szalay, would be on the West Coast. The channel contacted him and said that they wanted to come out and check out his property. "I...
The Shafter Recreation and Parks District's annual Summer Tennis Camp has attracted a full roster of campers eager to learn the love of the sport. Headed up by director Nelson Salinas, the camp is teaching the kids the basics of the sport, including the different strokes, as well as the other components of the game that are often overlooked. Before the campers even hit a ball on the Shafter High courts, Salinas taught them the importance of proper footwork, as well as fitness for the game. The...
The History Channel's "American Pickers" will be returning to the West Coast soon and are looking for local collectors who would be interested in having their collections on display for a national audience. Joshua Kerlin, producer of the popular show, said that they will be looking to meet with collectors who might have some unique and interesting items for their show to feature in an upcoming episode. "We are looking for different, unusual and unique items, something we have never seen before...
The Shafter City Council approved extra striping and signage to protect pedestrians on a stretch of West Tulare Avenue from Poplar Avenue and Highway 43. Residents have voiced their concerns on the amount of speeders on West Tulare, especially at the intersection of West Tulare and Santa Maria avenues, near a church and an apartment complex. Councilmember Gilbert Alvarado said at Tuesday night's council meeting that he is very concerned about the safety of pedestrians at this intersection. "I...
The Shafter Children's Summer Theater presented the Roald Dahl classic "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," this past weekend. Headed up by Cris Starrh, the theater group has been entertaining audiences for over 25 years, showcasing the local children's passion for the arts. In this production, the title character was portrayed by Camryn Yasenchek, who brought a vulnerable edge to the character that touched audiences. In the story, Wonka decides to open the doors to his factory to five lucky...
The Richland School District is welcoming three new teachers at Sequoia Elementary School for the coming school year. Superintendent Rosa Romero said that the new teachers come with years of experience and a passion for helping students reach their full potential. "We are excited to welcome these wonderful teachers to our family," said Romero. Jill Morrison will be the new principal at Sequoia Elementary School, bringing with her 24 years of educational experience, in a number of positions. She...
The Shafter Recreation and Parks Department's summer sports program is underway, with the first week of volleyball action and the beginning of the Summer Tennis Camp beginning this week. After the first week of action, the league, with 19 teams competing in different divisions, saw the 11U team coached by Rosamaria Villagomez in first place with a 2-0 record. Luz Pelayo's team is 2-1 to end the first couple of weeks in second place. In the 14U division, Isabel Gonzalez' team is tied for first...
Each school district in California received a portion of over $5 billion in emergency funding to help repair the state’s educational system and get the students back on track after the covid crisis that saw students suffer setbacks in learning. One of the highest allotments went to the Kern High School District, which received over $106 million. This funding is going to extended hours of learning, more extensive summer school programs, tutoring, and a host of other programs that are aimed at get...
The Shafter City Council approved a contract with Chandlerthinks LLC to "build a story" for the city, showcasing its assets and its vision. Business Development Director Bob Meadows told the council Tuesday night that the city needs to take steps to increase and broaden its economic development. This includes creating a brand, a competitive identity that shares with the world the story of Shafter. This is common practice in private business, even for smaller companies, and is becoming more...
The Shafter Children's Summer Theater group is preparing to put on their production of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" late this month, bringing the entertaining classic to real life in Shafter. The production will be featured from July 28-30, with performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday night beginning at 7 p.m. Prices are $15 each. The production features a cast of veterans, with the majority of the players having experience in past efforts. Camryn Yasenchak will take on the title...
The seniors who live in Shafter have a chance to stay healthy and active with participation in programs offered by the Shafter Recreation and Parks District, all free of charge. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, participants work out in the activity center at the Walker Senior Center, doing a chair fitness class that keeps their muscles moving as they do exercises to music, while sitting in a chair. The routines help the seniors with flexibility, endurance and coordination. According to Adult Services...
The Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church held its annual Summer Wrestling Camp this week, with about 30 kids wanting to learn the basics of the sport. Headed up by Pastor Pat Coyle, the camp is designed for beginners, as well as those who have a little wrestling experience. It teaches the kids basic techniques, such as the proper stances, takedown moves, and escapes. It also touches on different workouts they can do to improve their flexibility, endurance, and fitness. Coyle, who is a former...
A traffic stop led to an arrest of six people, the recovery of nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamine and the destruction of a drug lab in Shafter last Thursday. California Highway Patrol officers initiated a traffic stop on Wible Road in Bakersfield. The officers and a K9 Bart discovered about 97 pounds of methamphetamine inside the trunk of a Honda Accord being driven by Luis Cecena, 32, of Mexico City. This discovery led officers to conduct a search warrant at a suspect's home in Shafter. At a...
The Tracy family has a history in the farming and cattle industry, with their operations going back into the 1800s, beginning with William Tracy. Today, their family-held operations consist of the growing of cotton, wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, almonds and pistachios. Beef-raising rounds out the operations of the Buttonwillow Land & Cattle Company, a partnership made up of three families: the Freys, Selvedges and Tracys. Tracy Ranch Inc. is a family-held corporation owned by widespread...
July is Purple Ribbon Month, in observance of Kaitlyn’s Law, which was passed in 2001, making it a citable offense to leave children under the age of 6 years old in a vehicle without the supervision of someone at least 12 years of age. The law was named for Kaitlyn Marie Russell, who died on Aug. 15, 2000, after being left in a hot van by a caregiver. Kern County has designated July as Purple Ribbon Month in memory of Kaitlyn and all the children who have lost their lives to preventable i...
Nancy Guardado has been helping the community celebrate for six years, be it parties with pinatas, inflatables, a bunch of candy and whatever items needed to make a great party. Candyland has been open in Shafter for six years, thriving even during the pandemic, which challenged a lot of store owners in Shafter and Wasco. When we visited Guardado in 2022, she was just opening her second store, in downtown Wasco. She was there just over a year, but closed the store to concentrate on the Shafter...
With the volleyball season ready to begin next week, the spring baseball and softball teams celebrated the end of the season with All Star games and awards presentations this week, crowning the champions in each division. And there is no rest for those on the diamond, with the sign-ups for Fall Baseball and Softball beginning on July 10 and goes to Aug. 18. The cost is $70 per player, with payment plans for those who cannot afford to pay the entire amount at once. The first place winners of the...