Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
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The Wasco Task Force, led by Mayor Pro Tem Valentin Medina and Councilmember Eddie Saldaña, alongside dedicated community members Ruby Gutierrez, John Pallares and Orquidea Ocampo, is on a mission to engage the community on matters that are important to residents. "One of them is keeping Wasco clean, including keeping the streets free of tagging and any other issues that might be important to community members. We welcome all community members to attend our monthly meetings...
On Saturday, Sept. 7, the Elks Lodge 2419 will present its first Casino Night, an exclusive 21-and-over event. "We are hosting this annual Casino Night and opening our doors to the Wasco-Shafter communities to raise money to support our local veterans, seniors, community youth and scholars. The Elks Lodge is a proud supporter of our local youth sports programs, FFA and 4H, and with the help of those who attend this event, we will take the money raised and use it to contribute...
Hector Avila has been named Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Council. He was previously a deputy Grand Knight and a family committee leader. He has been a member since 2020. He also sings with the church choir. "I love music. I love to sing and practice my piano and my saxophone. Whenever there is no choir, or the choir director is not there, I sing a cappella and lead the congregation in the hymns for the Mass." Avila said...
The application period for The Wonderful Company's $1 million Wonderful Central Valley Community Grants is now live. Over the last nine years, the company and its co-owners, Lynda and Stewart Resnick, through their foundation, have awarded nearly $7 million in grants to more than 122 nonprofits and 165 schools in the San Joaquin Valley. Expanding on Wonderful's enduring dedication to aiding local organizations and schools in California's Central Valley, these grants will...
The Wasco City Council received an update regarding the Downtown Wasco Streetscape Project, which is to be completed by early fall 2024. They also decided to repair a clock tower, place it in the plaza and install a mini water tower replica in the center of a roundabout. "It's exciting to see staff working diligently to finish the downtown beautification project. There have been many delays, from covid to the weather, but I'm confident its completion will be well worth the...
A public ribbon-cutting for Central Avenue Park is set for Friday, July 19, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. This new park is the result of years of planning and months of construction. Many organizations and individuals contributed to the project, and this celebration allows recognition of all the hard work. The park provides a new recreation facility for the southwest part of town and connects the existing walking paths on Central Avenue and Filburn Avenue. The park's numerous trees...
Bradley Parrott, approaching his fourth year of teaching at John L. Prueitt Elementary School this August, continues a family tradition that spans three generations. Like his grandfather and father before him, he has committed to educating the children of Wasco. Patriarch Arthur Parrott taught Spanish at Wasco High School. He was hired in 1948 and taught there until 1967, working in different capacities as an educator. When he left WHS, he was a secondary coordinator for...
The City of Wasco Historic Downtown Business District Transformation initiative is nearing completion. The beautification project intends to revitalize the streetscape and public spaces along 7th Street from G Street to D Street. "The current project is nearing completion pending final art installations, the installation of a swing in the plaza, the completion of items in Veterans Park and other minor contractor punch list items," Community Development Director Keri Cobb...
Dr. Wendy Castañeda-Leal is the new superintendent of Semitropic Elementary School and is poised to lead with a deep commitment to equity and inclusivity. Her appointment promises a focus on student-centered policies, community engagement and a nurturing environment where every child can thrive. She said she is very excited about her new role. "Working with brown and Black students has always been a passion of mine. That is what I have focused on throughout my career;...
After four decades of teaching and coaching at Wasco Union High School, Edward Moreno has accepted a position as the athletic director at North High in Bakersfield. This is a personal milestone for Moreno and a significant chance for North High to benefit from his proven leadership and commitment to student success. Moreno's tenure at his alma mater has been marked by many achievemenst. As a golf coach, he accomplished four undefeated SSL Championships, one Sectional...
Strata Credit Union has launched Stock Rewards Checking, which allows members to earn fractional stocks as rewards on debit card transactions. This new checking account removes barriers that keep underserved people from investing, the credit union says. With Stock Rewards Checking, members earn 1% of each debit card transaction, up to $15 per month, which can be redeemed for fractional shares of popular stocks. Kelly Fargo, the vice president of community relations explained...
Dr. Francisco Padilla of Padilla Physical Therapy and Fitness is a doctor of physical therapy who runs his business with his wife, Diana. He established his practice last year, in 2023. He was inspired to enter his profession because he was a patient after an automobile accident that almost cost him his life. "I was in an accident driving home one day on Sept. 3, 2012. I hit a power pole, and the car caught fire. I burned 80% of my body, had 30 surgeries total and was at the h...
With the launch of the new Wasco Police Department, the men and women in uniform leading the force are passionate and committed to protecting and serving the community. Police Officer Anthony Cook is one of them. "We are here to protect you, to serve you and we are here to provide the services that you asked us for," he said in an interview this week. Cook thinks that adaptability is the most important quality for a police officer to possess. "Laws are always changing,...
Wasconian Shirley Huffman celebrated her 100th birthday on June 23, surrounded by friends and family. She has witnessed many significant milestones over the century of her life. "The things she has noticed the most is the mode of transportation changing and how it has evolved," Daughter Cynthia Huffman said. "The way cars and airplanes have changed, and the fact that we actually made it to the moon." Her family came from Ohio, and is one of eight children. Her grandfather...
The city has come to a labor agreement with the Wasco Police Officers Association for the next two years, including 4% wage increases this year and in 2025. The agreement also includes bilingual pay, POST certificate, education, and other pay incentives, along with details on holiday pay. In addition to the WPOA-covered employees, the same benefit provisions are extended to Police Department employees outside the bargaining unit who are not on an employment contract. The...
On Saturday, the Wasco Recreation and Park District's Red, White and Boom Fireworks Festival, celebrating the Fourth of July, was a day of patriotic fun and community spirit. An engaging line-up of activities and a grand finale lit up the sky. The evening started with a flag ceremony led by Boy Scouts Troop 950, which set the tone for the event and reminded everyone of the holiday's significance. Next followed the bike parade, in which entrants adorned their bikes, trikes,...
Good Samaritan Hospital – Rural Health Clinic Wasco is a community health care organization whose mission is to provide safe, effective medical and neuropsychiatric services in a caring manner for all. "We are here to serve the community and their health care needs," Office Manager Praksha Patel said. GSH has four providers with their own specialty. They are Bertha Barraza, a nurse practitioner who provides primary care and wound care; Harjeet Cheema, a nurse practitioner p...
With the 4th of July right around the corner, Wasco Police Department Chief of Police Charles Fivecoat shared tips and information on how to keep safe this holiday when using fireworks and warned that the use of illegal fireworks can cause severe injury and can result in heavy fines or jail time. "The fireworks that are illegal and nonsafe are more dangerous to use than the ones that are sold legitimately; couple that with people having weekend parties and alcohol is...
Aera Energy and Strata Credit Union have partnered to sponsor 380 Wasco elementary school students to attend Camp KEEP, a weeklong environmental education program in San Luis Obispo. Camp KEEP, run by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office, provides hands-on learning experiences for students to explore and appreciate the natural world. Through interactive activities, students gain a deeper understanding of environmental science, ecology and conservation. "Our...
Dr. Zach Ellis has 14 years of experience in education, seven of those in Wasco as a teacher at Palm Avenue when it was an elementary school, assistant principal and principal later as a middle school, assistant principal at Thomas Jefferson Middle School, summer school principal at John L. Prueitt Elementary and currently as principal of Teresa Burke Elementary. He will soon become a principal for the Rosedale Union School District, and colleagues who worked with him and...
The Wasco Recreation and Parks District will host 'The Red, White & Boom Fireworks Festival' on Saturday, June 29. This event will bring families and friends together to celebrate the country's independence at Barker Park, enjoying food, vendors, activities, music and a substantial fireworks show. The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. with a flag ceremony, a patriotic tribute led by Boy Scouts Troop 950, and a bike parade in partnership with Wasco Toys for Tigers. Residents can...
Wasco Sno-Shack is a seasonal business open from late May through Labor Day. With its doors open now, customers have the popular shaved ice cones in time for the summer heat. The business has served the community for the last 34 years. It is family owned, founded by Elvia Garza in 1991 and passed down to her daughter, Stella Guerra, in 2010. As a proud owner, Guerra said she will continue to cherish the family tradition of making the best snow cones since 1991. "It has been...
Wasco Code Compliance Division held its Summer Safety event on Monday at Barker Park to educate youth and parents about bike, water and fire safety, and prepare them for the summer. Code Compliance Office rChristian Tova, spearheaded the event. "We want to make sure our kids are aware of the dangers and how proper techniques are needed, being that they are going to be using their bikes more over the summer, being around pools and with the 4th of July right around the corner,...
The Wasco City Council has approved the 2024-25 fiscal year annual operating budget, balancing general fund revenues and operating costs at $15.4 million and $15.2 million, respectively. This year's budget reflects a significant decrease from the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Last year's budget projected revenues of $18.9 million and general operating costs of $18.0 million. This reduction of approximately $4 million in revenue is primarily due to the one-time American Rescue Plan...
Wasco will get a $250,000 state grant to fight fentanyl abuse under the Fentanyl Misuse and Overdose Prevention Task Force Bill introduced by Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, as the City Council approved final paper work at a special meeting last week. "This drug is not just a stand-alone drug. People are lacing this drug into all kinds of other drugs, trying to get those people hooked on it," said Chief Charles Fivecoat. The city plans on spending $75,000 on personnel costs,...
