Serving the community since 1970
Serving the community since 1970
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A seventh-grade student from Thomas Jefferson Middle School saluted Martin Luther King Jr. in the Beale County Library's annual Peace Concert Satrrday. Other students presented speeches about well-known peace activists at the concert. The peace concert was originally set up to honor those who preached nonviolence in their everyday life. "This is the first time young people have taken the stage for this event," said host Kaya Leyedecker. Khushali Desai presented a talk on Mahatma Gandhi, and...
March 25 is fast approaching, and with that date comes painful memories for a local family. That was the day the Adam Garza family lost four of their own in a head-on collision. The other driver had alcohol in her system and also died at the scene. Along with husband and father Adam, two of his children with first wife Amber died that day, Madelyn and Kaleb Garza. Jacqueline Garza lost her husband and their youngest daughter, Jordan. For these families, the children will always remain...
When you walk into Wasco Glass on Highway 46, you'll notice this isn't any ordinary glass shop. There are no mirrors, shower doors or framed windows on display inside the office; instead, you'll find a huge collection of sports memorabilia. John Eric Schroeder -- he goes by Eric -- enthusiastically greets his customers as they enter his shop. His father, John Felix Schroeder, purchased the property in 1975 from the Fannin family and sold it to his son. "This location was always a gas station...
When a student attends a City Council meeting, it's usually because he or she is being honored or they have something they want to say to the city. Last Tuesday, the council switched places with 15 high school students from Paul Ante's WHS government class, and the students sat on the podium, while Michael Drake conducted the meeting as mayor. "This is a collaboration the high school used to do with the city," Ante said. "We used to do this program several years ago and stopped, but students...
Come out and meet Goldie, a small golden (red/chestnut/orange) cocker spaniel puppy. Goldie was found last November tied up in a garbage bag fighting for her life. She was taken to the vet and already had parvo in her bones. She stayed five nights and had a plasma transfusion and she beat the disease. Goldie beat the odds. She is our miracle pup. She's now 6 months old and is the cutest Goldie has socialization issues due to her having been isolated for so long. She will need a lot of loving...
Wasco Union Elementary School District is sending seventh-grader Madison Martinez to the state History Day finals in Rocklin in May. Madison Martinez's presentation was about Sacagawea, the only woman to travel with the Lewis & Clark expedition. She traveled with the explorers and showed them the way to their destination and back home to Wyoming. Madison was visibly shaken as her name was announced as Champion for Individual Exhibit. Between shaking and tears of joy, she said, "Without...
The Wasco Union Elementary School District is in good financial shape, its chief business officer reported to the board Tuesday night. Chief Business Officer of the Wasco Union Elementary School District Karen Evens advised the board that the district is in good shape financially. "We are in good financial standing now and for the next couple of years," she said. "The biggest source of revenue is the local Control Funding Formula," Evans said. "The biggest expense is salary and benefits for empl...
Rabobank Convention Center was jam-packed with over 500 students anxiously waiting for their science projects to be judged last week. Wasco had 25 students exhibit their science fair projects at the county competition, with six winning awards. An eighth-grader from Thomas Jefferson School, Farmer Moreno, took 1st place in Science and Antonio Maldonado, a sixth-grader from Palm Avenue, took 1st place in Environmental Engineering. Sixth-grader Yarelli Sanchez from Teresa Burke took 2nd place in En...
An inmate at Wasco State Prison has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2017 strangulation killing of his cellmate. A Kern County jury returned the guilty verdict March 7 against Michael Beardsley in the death of his cellmate, James Morris District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer reported, giving details of the case in a press release. On Feb. 7, 2017, at around 3:05 p. m., a corrections officer heard inmates yelling “man down” in the area of cell 112. Responding officers saw the two assigned inmates inside cell 112; inmate Michael Bea...
Supervisor David Couch was the special guest at Monday's Rotary meeting, and highway improvements were the hot topic. Wasco Union Elementary School District Superintendent of Kelly Richers introduced Couch to the attendees by recapping the recent November supervisorial election, which was in the forefront of the news after redistricting. Special guests attending with Couch were Field Representatives Isabel Zamora and Zachary Wakefield. Both work in Couch's office. When Couch asked if anyone had...
Vandalism, lighting and theft were disclosed as the main concerns with city parks at the joint City Council and recreation and parks meeting on Tuesday. Annin Park at 935 Gromer Ave. and Barker Park at Poso Dr. and Poplar Ave. were the two parks specifically mentioned. "The bathrooms were vandalized within a couple of weeks of fixing them," said Director of Recreation and Parks Vickie Hight. "It's an ongoing problem." Councilmember Danny Espitia commented on the unsavory people that frequent Sou...
Dogs will be able to get to know potential new owners at Wasco's animal shelter, now that there are four new fenced play yards for them to roam freely, along with a dog run and a public viewing area. The Feb. 20 grand opening at the shelter, 5409 7th Street, ws made possible by a $28,000 grant from PetSmart Charities. The City of Wasco used the grant to provide fenced play yards so the dogs can run and play, participate in public viewing and interact with prospective new families. Due to pet...
Visitors arrived at Canyon Hills Church earlier than the 9 a.m. opening of the Homeless Resource Day. "About a dozen agencies are represented here," said Homeless Outreach Committee senior health educator Natasha Felkins. "Blood pressure and glucose testing are being provided." The event was sponsored by the Kern County Homeless Collaborative and included booths with spokespersons providing information and resources available for medical services, referrals to social services, legal assistance,...
Hong Kong Restaurant has a warm, inviting atmosphere and the orderliness of the seating creates a spacious feeling. The Wasco Rotary Club uses the Hong Kong Restaurant to cater its lunch menu for specific meetings. "The food is excellent," said Superintendent Kelly Richers. The restaurant is located at 912 Seventh St. and they can be reached at 661-758-3338 for take-out orders. It's owned by Jian Zuo Huang and his wife, Juan Zhu Huang. They have owned the restaurant for approximately 3 1/2...
The status of the high-speed rail project was top of mind at Wednesday's Wasco Coalition meeting. Historical Society member Marlene Swan asked if anyone knew what was happening with the high-speed rail. She wanted to know if plans remained to continue building it from Merced to Bakersfield. Mayor Alex Garcia announced a positive "Yes" to her question. "The high-speed rail is still going forward," Garcia said. "I am strongly advocating that the heavy maintenance facility be constructed in Wasco,...
Hall Ambulance expanded in Kern County by opening a new facility in Lost Hills Friday, Feb. 22. The facility will service paramedic and emergency medical services for Lost Hills, Wasco and rural areas located on the Westside of Kern County. They also will be available to help motorists traveling on Interstate 5. Hall Ambulance, Post 26, is located at 14865 Woodward Ave. The facility will be staffed 24/7, with one crew consisting of an emergency medical technician, a paramedic and a driver....
Wasco's Pizza Factory was taken over by an ESports invasion Saturday, when over 30 people came in prepared to play the Super Smash Brothers Ultimate competition. Each player selects a video game character to play. Three games equal one set, and to win a set means a person needs to win two out of three games. Anyone with an interest in video games was able to enter, and most of the visitors to the restaurant signed up to compete and not just play the game. The competition is fast-moving with...
As you enter H & H Automotive at 2001 Highway 46, the first thing you notice is the place is busy with cars parked in every available spot on the property. Inside the office, there is an atmosphere of respect for everyone who enters the shop. Mechanics hustle in and out and often stop to chat with a customer before returning to the task at hand. While owner Jose Robledo shows enthusiasm and warmth as he greets everyone who comes into his shop. He is enthusiastic about being in Wasco and says...
Twenty-four women got together in Wasco last week to play 18 games of Bunko, two hours of fun and games as they kept score and passed around the bunko trinket. Everything in bunko is up to the roll of the dice. There are six games in each set, and there were three sets played during the afternoon. Historically, Bunco is considered a parlor game (played indoors or in the parlor), and is usually played with 12 or more players divided into groups of four, trying to score points while taking turns...
The city is investigating options for replacing its aging water treatment facilities. City Manager David Ortiz-Hernandez presented two options to the City Council Tuesday night for these facilities. One is a large centralized facility, which will service the entire city, and the second is a treatment site next to each well. The cost of these options has not been determined at this early stage, Ortiz-Hernandez said. Treatments that have to be considered include contamination 1,2,3 TCP, found in...
The principal of Teresa Burke Elementary School shows joy as she talks about her relationships with her church, her community and her colleagues. Monique Goodwill had a constant smile on her face and a glow about her as she described what her school did to acknowledge Black History Month. "Last Saturday, we invited all the African American kids and their parents to join us as we kicked off Black History Month," said Goodwill. "We talked about Catherine Johnson, who was one of the characters...
Wasco residents are like everyone else -- they love their pizza and wings and an occasional ice cold beer or soft drink. That's exactly what owner of Pizza Factory Russ Adkins was hoping for when he made a career move to owning a franchise. Adkins was a teacher for eight years, and he knew in his heart that he wanted to do something with food, so he looked into a franchise. "There were several opportunities," Adkins said. "But once Wasco was suggested as a good location, I drove through the...
City Clerk Maria Martinez has been wearing more than one hat since she has been serving as the city clerk and HR manager for awhile. That ended when Nancy Vera was promoted from payroll specialist to HR manager. It's been a fast rise for Vera, since she's only been with the city since March 2018. Vera has a gentle nature about her and an engaging smile as she greets visitors to her office. She is easily accessible to staff whenever needed. She's a graduate of California State University,...
A special program was held last week at the Wasco Woman's Club's monthly meeting as the members recognized six former presidents and current President Marlene Swan. Past presidents honored included Priscilla Newfield (1983-84), Sally Montgomery (1988-90), Pat Ketcherside (1994-96 and 2000-02), Sarah Reding (2004-06), Diane Waterhouse (2014-16) and Marlene Swan (2018-2020). Special guests for the luncheon were pianist Heath Janzen and singer Bob Ellis. Janzen played romantic love songs, while...
I had the most wonderful Valentine's Day this year because my youngest daughter delivered my first grandson on Valentine's Day. He is the first boy besides his dad to become a part of our immediate family, so he is pretty special. My daughter likes old-fashioned names, and when her firstborn was named, she chose Lilah, and now Lilah is joined by Adley. My heart is filled with so much love for each grandchild; it feels like it's going to explode. Until I became a grandmother, I never understood...