Golf tournament will now be run by scholarship association

The Wasco Community Scholarship Association will now be in charge of a golf tournament and its donated money.

Jeff Acebedo has been working closely with the association since his father, Jesse Acebedo, was killed in a vehicle accident in 2017. Jeff Acebedo and his family have organized a successful golf tournament for the last few years in honor of Jesse. The family proposed that the donated funds from the tournament be turned over to the association and that the association absorb the golf tournament and its donated monies.

Jesse Acebedo was a long-time Wasco High School supporter, a Kern County Sheriff's deputy at the Wasco substation, founder of an annual golf tournament supporting leadership at WHS, a correctional counselor and a WHS board member.

"Dad would go out and get donations for the tournament," son Jeff said. "We have given away about $20,000 in the past five years."

Acebedo talked about his father's involvement with Wasco activities and events such as the Rose Festival, the golf tournament and PALS KCSO camp.

The 2019-2020 Board of Directors include Anna Balentine, Kevin Tallon, Sharon Nicol, Dave Villapondo, David Ward, Jay Wedel, Sharon Sharp, Nancy Neufeld, Pat Ketcherside, Betsy Rogers and Lindsey West and Orquidia Ocampo.

"This still needs to be officially voted on at a WHS Community Scholarship Association meeting by all the members of the committee," member David Ward said. "I don't see a problem with the Association not accepting this."

Acebedo will assist the WCSA with the annual golf tournament. The tournament has been held on the first Saturday of October.

Ward said that scholarship applications will be available in December and can be found on the WHS website. He emphasized that the deadline and requirements for the scholarship award are strict and only for WHS graduates.

The Association was created and filed with the Secretary of State Jordan Clark in November 1965 and members included Phillip Cameron, John Prueitt, Ralph Anderson, Jean Wohlgemuth, Lester Smith, David Clemens, Obie Hamlin, Charles Rockholt, Harvey Holloway, Clifton Clemens, George Kroeber, Fred George, Virgil Trandem, Wallace Shafer and Gordon Drescher.