Easter service begins at sunrise Sunday

Easter will once again be celebrated with a Sunrise Service on Sunday at 6:30 a.m. after the service was canceled last year due to the pandemic.

The service will be held at “The Green,” at the intersection of Kern Street and California Avenue on the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church lawn. The speaker will be Pastor Gabriel Espinoza and the event is sponsored by the Shafter Kiwanis Club.

With the county’s designation changed to the red tier, this also means less restrictions on a variety of services and businesses.

Restaurants are allowed to offer inside dining, as long as it does not exceed 25% capacity. Gyms and movie theaters are also open, with the same occupancy restrictions. For the third straight week, the number of new cases in Shafter has dropped.

“I can’t wait to go see a movie and enjoy a real tub of movie theater butter popcorn,” said Madeline Clugh, who is planning to take her two grandchildren to the movies this weekend. “It is strange to think that they haven’t been able to grow up going to the theater whenever they want, or gathering with their friends, not having to worry about getting sick.”