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The Shafter Chamber of Commerce Banquet and Awards event is Thursday, March 14, beginning at 5 p.m., with an hors d'oeuvre hour followed by dinner and then the awards. Before the awards presentations, the mayor of Shafter, Chad Givens will be giving the State of the City address, which highlights the accomplishments of the city the past year, as well as the future. Givens gave a speech last year that was full of hope and promise, with several of these goals coming to fruition,...
Since the 1950s, Marlene Swan has tirelessly volunteered her time and energy to various Wasco organizations. Through her acts of kindness and service, her commitment and dedication have made an impact on the community. Marlene was born in 1932 in Wasco and attended all local schools, including Wasco High School. "It was there that I first became involved with different things. There were the parades the FFA put on then, and the adults got that started, but I also helped out....
The Orange Heart Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to enhance the community of Wasco. The organization aims to instill optimism through educational and recreational initiatives, uniting through events, and focusing on the betterment of the local area. The goal is to elevate the quality of life in the community by establishing constructive and inspiring customs that represent the entirety of residents. The OHF was founded in 2015 following the organization...
Joshua Huddleston is the director of athletics and activities at Wasco High School. His story is one of turning his life around and using it to inspire the young people he works with. "I dropped out of high school at the beginning of my sophomore year. I went back in my junior year because my grandfather, on his deathbed, made me promise I would. One of the reasons I do this job is to try to build connections between students and the school, so they will be more likely to...
Here's this week's challenge, courtesy of the Shafter Historical Society. If you know the location, circumstances, exact or rough date and/or people in the photo, send your educated (or semieducated) guess to The Press, 455 Kern St., Suite E, Shafter 93263, or e-mail it to mysteryphoto@The ShafterPress.com. Winners will be revealed here next week. LAST WEEK: Workers bag potatoes in fields around Shafter in 1965....
Wasco Union High School had the honor of being one of only 293 middle schools and high schools in California to be selected for the 2024 California Distinguished Schools Program. This recognition, announced on Feb. 29 by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, highlights schools such as WHS that demonstrate excellence, growth, outstanding academic achievements and a commitment to fostering a positive school environment. WHS is one of only two high schools in...
The Shafter Press and Wasco Tribune encourage local organizations to let the public know about coming events and activities through this column. Drop off or mail items at the office, 455 Kern St., Suite E, in Shafter, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, call 661-292-5100 or email [email protected]. Deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday prior to publication. Updates will be on TheShafterPress.com and WascoTrib.com. ANNOUNCEMENTS Chamber of Commerce Dinner and State of the City – Mayor Chad Givens’ annual report highlights the...
Schools in the Richland School District celebrated the Reading Across America event last week, with classrooms filled with special guest readers of numerous Dr. Seuss books. The event encouraged reading in and out of the classroom and shows that reading is an enjoyable event, not just an educational tool. There were dozens of guests at local elementary schools that helped celebrate the joy of reading. Members of the Shafter community came to read to the students, including...
This article features the second half of the contestants in the Shafter Distringuished Young Women program set for this month. The other eight were in last week's paper, which can be seen at TheShafterPress.com. A total of 16 young women will be vying for the title of Shafter Distinguished Young Woman at this year's competition on Friday, March 22. The event is one of the oldest scholarship programs for junior girls in the state, with the Shafter event celebrating over 40...
The Shafter Kiwanis Club held their monthly Terrific Kids luncheon, honoring local students who display the character trait that is featured for that month. This month, the focus is onFriendliness. Those being recognized included Maple School's Noah Lopez, Viana Fuentes, Amber Gonzalez and Sophia McCuan. They were presented awards by their principal, Christy Nelson. For Sequoia Elementary, Principal Janeane Morrison gave awards to students Auctavia Espinoza and Ashton...
The Shafter Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Community Awards on Thursday night, March 14, at the Ford Theater. The event honors individuals, groups and businesses that have enriched the community and helped make Shafter a great place to live. The honorees will join others, such as Fred Starrh, Jack "Woody" Colvard and Jon Johnston as recipients of the awards recognizing outstanding contributions to the community. Recipients this year are: Hitchcock Auto Parts, who...
Karl F. Clemens Elementary School announced its weekly Super Students. Criteria for selection were based on significant math improvement, showing kindness to all friends, respect and hard work, following class procedures, helping other students understand new concepts and improving learning English. From left are chool mascot Whiskers, Vice Principal Angela Devin, Eden Franco (kindergarten), Liliana Antonio (1st grade), Isaiah Matamoros (2nd grade), Kayla Campos (4th grade)...
In the dynamic realm of football, where strategies evolve and victories are crafted through innovation, Wasco High School varsity football Head Coach Chad Martinez shines. Known for connecting with his players extremely well and for his attention to detail, under his leadership, those skills propelled his team forward into greatness – including playing in the State Championship game last year. He is originally from Inglewood, in the center of Los Angeles. "I grew up there....
Helen Gaede passed away recently, leaving the city without one of its treasures. Gaede was beloved by so many in town, touching lives throughout her life. Gaede moved to Shafter in 1968, coming with her husband, Dennis, a Shafter native. Gaede was always active in her church, the Shafter Mennonite Brethren Church, eventually getting involved in the Shafter Kiddie Kollege in 1972, where she worked as a Teachers Aide. Gaede continued her education and became program director....
The Shafter City Council listened to the annual financial report for the fiscal year of 2023 at its meeting Tuesday night.. Christian Townes, CPA partner with LSL, Inc., gave a report on their audit of the city finances. Townes said that the company performed detailed testing of account balances and transactions. The results of the audit said that the city's financial statements were accurate and reliable for the year ending June 30, 2023. They identified no fraud, waste or...
On a light agenda Tuesday night,, the Wasco City Council approved a couple of residents as new members of the Wasco Sales Tax Oversight Committee (Measure X). John Pallares and Rosalio Armendariz were appointed to serve for an unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2025. The council had sent a recruitment notice that was published in the Wasco Tribune advertising for interested candidates. Pallares and Armendariz were both interviewed by Mayor Alex Garcia, City Manager Scott Hurlbert...
Here's this week's challenge, courtesy of the Shafter Historical Society. If you know the location, circumstances, exact or rough date and/or people in the photo, send your educated (or semieducated) guess to The Press, 455 Kern St., Suite E, Shafter 93263, or e-mail it to mysteryphoto@The ShafterPress.com. Winners will be revealed here next week. LAST WEEK: Dora Sabedra at La Colonia the mid-1940s....
Marcus Ballard is an inspiring leader who is both an educator and assistant pastor. He is a shining example of someone committed to building a brighter future for the community of Wasco. Ballard has been a teacher for 10 years, now teaching 6th grade at Palm Avenue Middle School. As a teacher, he said, "I hope to inspire, motivate and be a role model to my students. Not just in education, but in life." He was born and raised here, and he graduated from Wasco High School in...
David Couch appears to be headed to another term as in his race for re-election, according to the Kern County Elections office, with results as of early Wednesday morning. In the race for supervisor of the 4th District, Couch has amassed a big lead, with 52% of the vote, enough to return him to office without a runoff. Candidate Veronica Cruz Vasquez has received a little over 17% of the vote, with Wasco Mayor Alex Garcia with 16% and Salvador Solorio-Ruiz with 14%. If the per...
The first of two articles featuring this year's Distinguished Young Woman of Shafter participants. The other half will be presented in next week's paper. The annual Distinguished Young Woman of Shafter scholarship program is on tap for Friday March 22, at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School. Each girl is in her junior year at Shafter High and will be competing for over $5,000 in scholarship money. There are 16 participants in this year's competition....
Third in a series profiling candidates for 4th District county supervisor, representing the Shafter and Wasco areas. Other stories can be found at TheShafterPress.com or WascoTrib.com. Veronica Vasquez has a bachelor's in human development from Cal State East Bay, with a minor in political science and women's studies and a master's in social work with an emphasis on mental health. She has interned with Sen. Barbara Boxer in San Francisco with a role to help veterans and mental...
Salvador Solorio-Ruiz has thrown his hat into the ring for the District 4 Supervisor race, looking to change the path of the county from status quo to a more involved community. “The way things are now, there seems to be a disconnect between the community and its leadership. We need to change that, and I would be the perfect candidate to bring about that change.” Solorio-Ruiz is Delano’s vice mayor, after becoming one of the youngest city council members in the county at...
David Couch is running for reelection as the Supervisor in the 4th District. Couch is a lifelong resident of Kern County and has served as a city councilman and county supervisor for over 20 years. He has over 25 years of private sector experience working in the financial services and energy industries. Couch has said that he has done much for the communities he represents and looks forward to the chance to serve them for another term. A big issue for Couch is making sure his...
After a four-year absence, the Colours Festival made its return to Shafter last weekend, with a host of activities. The traditional Spaghetti Dinner was put on by the Shafter Community Chest, with a drive-thru event this year. On Friday, the Art Gallery opened at the Ford Theater, with the works of 13 local artists on display. There were sculptures, paintings, sketches and photographs, as well as floral arrangements created by the Shafter FFA. There was also a visit from...
Christmas came a day early for the youth of Shafter, presented with toys from the Toys for Tots organization, thanks to the support of the community. "The Shafter Lions Club used their nonprofit status to get the Toys for Tots organization here, and we secured the building," said Shafter Councilman Gilbert Alvarado, who is also a Lion. The giveaway event was held on Christmas Eve at the Shafter Veterans Hall. Every child who attended received at least two toys to take home,...