From left, candidate John Kim, candidate Vince Martinez ......General Manager: Diane Givens (661-292-5100; [email protected]) Editor: Jamie Stewart (661-292-5005; [email protected])

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Vol. 93 No. 16 • Shafter, California Vol. 43 No. 16 • Wasco, California Thursday, October 15, 2020

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Kern County entered the red tier on Tuesday, opening the doors of more businesses and public buildings.

The tiers, determined by the state and Public Depart-ment of Human Safety’s Virus Grading Scale, dictate how the county is handling the pandemic.

The red tier, up from the purple tier where the county had been, means residents can now eat inside restaurants, as well as go to the gym and go inside other public build-ings. Social distancing guidelines apply.

During the past two weeks, the increase in new cases has

TONI DEROSAThe Wasco Tribune

Many think the number 13 is an unlucky number, but for Kern County and Wasco residents, Tuesday, Oct. 13 was a lucky day.

The county officially moved from the purple tier to the red tier, which means movie theaters, hair salons, restaurants, places of worship and gyms may resume limited indoor operations; however, the city is taking it slow this time instead of fully opening up to the public.

“We are still in the process of purchasing basic protective barriers for office lobbies,” City Manager Daniel Ortiz-Her-nandez said. “We are also providing separations.”

Wasco will be slowly moving into the red tier in hopes that the county will be able to move into the next tier up, orange.

Once Wasco gained its red tier, several businesses said they have plans in the works.

Owner Russ Atkins of Pizza Factory on Highway 46

City moves into red tier

More businesses to open under red tier

Pizza Factory Owner Russ Akins serves a customer.


The Wasco Library will be opening up and providing limited service.

Kern County is attempting to keep as many libraries open as possible dur-ing this pandemic. As the county moves from the purple tier to the red tier, it al-lows for more indoor activities.

Since the county recently moved to

the red tier, libraries are beginning to open their doors with some rules set in place. There is a time limit of 30 min-utes per visit.

All visitors to the library need to have a purpose-driven appointment such as checking out a book you placed on hold. You can request an ap-

pointment online at kernlibrary.org.Everyone entering a library must

be wearing a face mask that covers the nose and the mouth.

The libraries continue to prefer curbside services such as pick up holds, genre grab bags, carryout crafts (while supplies last), prizes for reading chal-lenges (while supplies last), Grab-N-Go

Library opening some inside services, masks required TONI DEROSAThe Wasco Tribune

On Monday evening, Oct. 19, the Wasco Union High School District board candidates will have a fo-rum beginning at 6 p.m. The forum will be avail-able for attendees on Wasco Is on Facebook at that time.

Even though Kern County is now in the red tier, many are playing it safe by continuing with virtual meetings.

Candidates running include incumbents Joel Ackerknecht and Sharon Nicol as well as new candi-date John Steward.

Forum announced for WUHSD candidates

WASCOWASCO

WASCO

SHAFTER

WASCO

See SCHOOLS Page 8

See WASCO Page 3

See SAME Page 8TONI DEROSAThe Wasco Tribune

The six City Council candidates — four from District 2 and two from District 4 — gathered Oct. 7 for a forum at Life House Church.

Wasco Women’s Club member and forum moderator Jill Drescher, President Cheryl Woody and time-keeper Marlene Swan insured the event ran smoothly. Video and audio recording was provided by Richard Peters of Peters Funeral Home.

There were two different sections to the forum. First District 2 candi-dates John Kim, Vince Martinez, Florirene Olvera and David Ward answered questions and then. Dis-trict 4 candidates Tilo Cortez and Eddie Saldana answered questions.

District 5 candidate Alex Garcia is running unopposed.

Drescher introduced City Coun-cil member Garcia who led every-one in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The candidates each introduced themselves to the attendees and

provided a brief biography of their qualifications and dedication to Wasco. These biographies ran in the Sept. 17 and Oct. 1 editions of The Wasco Tribune.

Drescher began the forum by asking the candidates if elected, do any of them plan on reviewing the current city ordinances.

Martinez stated that the ordi-nances are constantly being changed and there could be some that are outdated. He also said that he wasn’t sure which ordinances the author of the question was referring to.

“Many people are trying to navi-gate and go around them,” Martinez said. “I think the city has done a good job.”

Olvera added to Martinez’s com-ment by stating that some of the or-dinances are outdated, but believes they are the best way to comply and see how they affect residents.

“There are way too many and

they are outdated,” Ward said.“These are the rules that the city

has agreed to live by,” Kim said. “They should be refined and stream-lined. We need a more coherent set of rules.”

Drescher then asked each can-didate how they felt about the High Speed Rail and the loss of Amtrak in Wasco.

“The High Speed Rail should not have been started or even complet-ed,” Ward said. “I don’t know how we can get Amtrak to stay.”

Kim responded by saying, “I’m sad about the loss of Amtrak. We should try to get the High Speed Rail to stop in Wasco.” Kim then added that the city needs to change Wasco to a destination where the High Speed Rail wants to stop. He added that if Wasco is to become a more fast-forward, technological community, it needs the High Speed Rail.

Martinez responded that there is

City Council candidates forum helps inform voters

From left, candidate John Kim, candidate Vince Martinez, moderator Jill Drescher, Wasco Women’s Club President Cheryl Woody, candidate Florirene Olvera and candidate David Ward.

See FORUM Page 4

THE SHAFTER PRESS | WASCO TRIBUNE Page 2 Thursday, October 15, 2020

Mystery history

The Shafter Press (#491700) is published each Thursday and is available at no charge at locations throughout the Shafter area and by subscription at $49 per year. Send payment, along with name, address and email address, to P.O. Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263.

Adjudicated a legal newspaper by Superior Court Order No. 29926. Entered as Periodicals at Shafter Post Office Aug. 1, 1935, under Act of Congress.

Postmaster: Send change of address to The Shafter Press, P.O. Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263. Periodical postage paid at Shafter, California, permit PE491700.

Publisher: Michael Schroeder (661-292-5100; [email protected])

General Manager: Diane Givens(661-292-5100; [email protected])

Editor: Jamie Stewart(661-292-5005; [email protected])

Office Manager: Erica Soriano(661-292-5100; [email protected])

Production Manager: Bobby Sirois

Distribution Coordinator: Romero “Mickey” Enriquez(661-292-5100; [email protected])

Contact The Shafter Press at P.O. Box 789, Shafter. CA 93263. Office hours at 406 Central Ave., Shafter, are from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. E-mail [email protected] or call 661-292-5100; fax 661-292-5077. Production by Central Connecticut Communications LLC.

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What does energy do for us? Wasco Tribune is published each Thursday and is available at no charge at locations throughout the Wasco

area and by subscription at $49 per year. Send payment, along with name, address and email address, to P.O. Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263.

Adjudicated a legal newspaper by Superior Court Order No. 183950. Entered as Standard Mail at Wasco Post Office.

Postmaster: Send change of address to Wasco Tribune, P.O. Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263.

Publisher: Michael Schroeder (661-292-5100; [email protected])

General Manager: Diane Givens(661-292-5100; [email protected])

Editor: Toni DeRosa(661-292-5005; [email protected])

Office Manager: Erica Soriano(661-292-5100; [email protected])

Production Manager: Bobby Sirois

Distribution Coordinator: Romero “Mickey” Enriquez(661-292-5100; [email protected])

Contact the Wasco Tribune at P.O. Box 789, Shafter. CA 93263. Office hours at 406 Central Ave., Shafter, are from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. E-mail [email protected] or call 661-292-5100; fax 661-292-5077. Production by Central Connecticut Communications LLC.

WASCO

SHAFTER

ANNOUNCEMENTS NEW: Wasco Women’s Club: Meeting

every second Tuesday of the Month at 1601 7th Street, Wasco. Lunch will be at 12 p.m. and meeting at 1:30 p.m.

NEW: Wasco Recreation & Park Board Meetings are on every 3rd Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Hall at Barker Park in Wasco.

NEW: Shafter: City of Shafter CAPK and the County of Kern “FOOD2DOOR Program.” The program delivers once a month 70lbs of food to seniors 65 and older.

Call (661) 498-7831 ext. 1310 to out if your eligiable for the program and enroll today!

CAPK y el Condado de Kern “Programa FOOD2DOOR” atienden a personas may-ors de 65 años . Una caja de comida de 70 libra cada mes se entrega directamente en la puerta. El programa no se basa en los ingresos, está diseñadopara mantener a las personas ensus hogares y mantenerse sa-ludables para que podamos vencer al CO-VID-19. Llame al (661)498-7831 ext. 1310

Para averiguar si es elegible para el pro-grama e inscríbase hoy mismo.

Wasco/ShafterFridays: Griffith Avenue Baptist Church

Baptist Church “Impact Program,” 408

Griffith Street will be hosting a food distribu-tion for anyone in need in Wasco/Shafter com-munity.

Food will be passed out beginning at 7:00 a.m., but people should show up early because food will be passed out while supplies last.

Wasco/ShafterEvery 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month:

Griffith Avenue Baptist Church Baptist Church 408 Griffith Street will be giving senior sack program lunches out at 11 a.m. Sponsored by Golden Gleaners.

Wasco: The City of Wasco wishes to re-mind residents that our official city website is the only authorized avenue to pay your Utility Bill online.

Wasco: COVID-19 testing to anyone free, if you have insurance they will be billed. Located at the Wasco Library 1102 7th St., Wasco. Appointments made at http//lhi.care/covidtesting or call (888)634-1123.

Donde? Biblioteca de Wasco 1102 7th St, Wasco. Si no tiene acceso de internet llame al (888)634-1123.

Shafter: Shafter City Hall closed to public effective July 24 until further notice.

Oficina-Cerrado Al Publico: Efectivo el Viernes, 24 de Julio-Hasta Nuevo aviso. (Por orden del Gobernador)

Community CalendarAs activities restart and businesses reopen, we will try to update readers on the status

of events and activities throughout the area. Please contact Erica Soriano with additions and changes at [email protected] or call 661-292-5100 by Monday at 4 p.m. for that week’s paper.

CORRECTION

Wasco Union High School District board can-didate Sharon Nicol was misidentified as Stacy Nichol in the October 1, 2020 edition on page 3. We apologize for this error.

From The Shafter Press archives:10 Years Ago: Nov. 11, 2010The Shafter Police Department received a new

device called FAST ID. It links into the California ID system within 20-25 seconds to identify a sus-pect by their fingerprints.

20 Years Ago: Nov. 15, 2000G.H. Ben Grundy was honored for his 36 years

of service to the Shafter Community with a lun-cheon at the Green Hotel. Eighteen years of his service was being a chairman on the board of the Shafter/Wasco Kern County Cemetery.

30 Years Ago: Oct. 31, 1990A few of Shafter’s players of the week were

Colonel’s running back Fortino Valdiva, offensive and defensive guard for the Buc’s Loreto Lara and Veronica Garza for the Shafter Varsity Volleyball.

HEADLINES IN HISTORY

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM.• Read • Advertise • Contribute

to The Shafter Press and Wasco Tribune

Here’s this week’s challenge, courtesy of the Shafter Historical Society. If you know the loca-tion, circumstances, exact or rough date and/or people in the photo, send your educated (or semieducated) guess to The Press, 406 Central Ave., Shafter 93263, or e-mail it to mysterypho-to@The ShafterPress.com. Winners will be re-vealed here next week. LAST WEEK: 1941 Shafter Aerial View E. Lerdo Hwy Water Tower Carnival. Photo by Bill Rodgers.

Here’s this week’s challenge, courtesy of the Wasco Histori-cal Society. If you know the location, circumstances, exact or rough date and/or people in the photo, send your edu-cated (or semieducated) guess to the Tribune, 406 Central Ave., Shafter 93263, or e-mail it to [email protected]. Winners will be revealed here next week. LAST WEEK: 1981 Rose Festival Grand Marshal Lucille Muir.

SHAFTERAs reported by the Shafter Po-lice DepartmentOCT. 11

Nicholas Medrano, 22, of Shafter, was arrested for disorderly conduct: under the influence drug.

Luis Angel Perez San-chez, 19, of Shafter, was arrested on a felony bench warrant.OCT. 10

Mayra Alejandra Peralez, 41, of Shafter, was arrested on an outside felony warrant.OCT. 9

Eleazar Reyes Leyva, 37, of Shafter, was arrested for child cruelty, inflicting injury onto child and bur-glary in the first degree.OCT. 8

Michell Leeann Ander-son, 28, of Shafter, was ar-rested on an outside felony warrant.OCT. 7

Andres Fidel Gonzalez, 39, of Shafter, was arrested for possession of controlled substance and on a misde-meanor bench warrant.

Carlos DeLeon, 41, of

Shafter, was arrested on vandalism in the amount of more than $400.

Buttonwillow OCT. 5

Robert Ortiz, 40, of Shafter, was arrested in the 18000 block of Beech Av-enue in Shafter for resisting arrest, destroy or conceal evidence, drug parapherna-lia, on a misdemeanor war-rant and for an unsafe turn or no signal. He was booked into the Kern County Jail. OCT. 8

Angelica Zamora, 26, of Shafter, was arrested at Shafter Court, 325 Central Valley Highway in Shafter on a misdemeanor remand. She was booked into the Kern County Jail.

Elio Hernandez, 28, of Richgrove, was arrested at the intersection of Twissel-man Road and Shelco Drive in Lost Hills for grand theft and conspiracy. He was booked into the Kern Coun-ty Jail.

Eulogio Garcia, 44, of Richgrove, was arrested at the intersection of Twissel-

man Road and Shelco Drive in Lost Hills for grand theft and conspiracy. He was booked into the Kern Coun-ty Jail.

WASCO OCT. 5

Ricardo Lopez-Badajos, 35, of Wasco, was arrested in the 600 block of High-way 46 in Wasco for grand theft, conspiracy and pos-session of a controlled sub-stance. He was booked into the Kern County Jail.

Andres Ramirez, 23, of Wasco, was arrested in the 700 block of F Street on a misdemeanor warrant. He was cited and released at the scene.

Karina Velasquez Go-mez, 29, of Wasco, was ar-rested in the 700 block of F Street on a misdemeanor warrant. She was cited and released at the scene.OCT. 7

Mindy Moreno, 32, of

Wasco, was arrested in the 700 block of F Street on a misdemeanor warrant. She was cited and released at the scene.OCT. 10

Selena Castaneda, 25, of Wasco, was arrested in the 2600 block of Parkside Drive for felony child cru-elty with the possibility of injury or death and misde-meanor willful cruelty to a child. She was booked into the Kern County Jail.OCT. 11

Vincent Rafael Osuna, 30, of Wasco, was arrested in the 2100 block of Sunset Street on two active felony warrants. He was booked into the Kern County Jail.

Vincent Rafael Osuna, 30, of Wasco, was arrested at the Central Receiving Facility for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. He was booked into the Kern County Jail.

Thursday, October 15, 2020 Page 3 THE SHAFTER PRESS | WASCO TRIBUNE

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There are three seats available on the City Council being contested between six candidates including the three incumbents

of those seats. Current mem-

bers Manuel Garcia, Gilbert Alvarado, Chad Givens are joining newcomers Kris Lawrence, Pete Espinoza and Rafael Za-mudio in the race.

Council members make policy for the city, as well as create a budget for the year and make decisions regarding the financial status of the city and the infrastructure.

This week we are featuring incumbent Manuel Garcia.

Garcia has been a lifelong Shafter resi-dent, graduating from Shafter High School. He was a star quarterback for the Generals and was given a scholarship to continue his football career at Bakersfield College. Af-ter playing for BC, Garcia continue playing football at Weber State, majoring in crimi-

nal justice. He also has a degree in sociol-ogy.

Garcia returned to Shafter after college and has worked for the Kern High School District at Shafter High School for over 30 years. His tenure included a stint as head football coach for the Generals, com-ing full circle in his Shafter High career.

Garcia was elected to the City Council four years ago, aiming to make a difference in his community. Garcia said that he is proud for the success that Shafter has enjoyed, having one of the most credit-worthy cities in the state.

He said that he also sees public safety as

a main priority for the city, which has been accomplished with the hiring of addition-al officers as well as having the most up-to-date technology to fight crime.

Garcia said attract-ing big businesses is a main focus for Shafter in the coming year.

“I would love to see a nationally known franchise, such as a Starbucks, or Kentucky Fried Chicken come to Shafter, as well as keeping our existing

businesses afloat,” he said.He said the council recently helped local

businesses by waiving permit fees along with issuing tax breaks for incoming businesses.

“We need to keep Shafter a desired desti-nation for companies, letting the businesses know that the city wants them here and will do what it takes to keep them here,” he said.

Garcia also said that he is very pleased with the work Public Works has done im-proving the look of the city, including the James Street project and the new park that is being planned.

“Shafter looks so much better and we need to keep it a top priority for the next few years, revitalizing our downtown area,” he said.

Garcia said Shafter could also benefit from a dog park in town.

“Bakersfield has a few dog parks and residents want to let their dogs off their leashes, letting them play and have some fun,” he said.

Garcia said the city is heading in the right direction and would love to be a part of it.

“I would love to see this vision for Shafter be realized and be a part of the pro-cess,” he said.

Garcia vying to complete vision for city

Garcia is looking to serve another term on the City Council.

SHAFTER

WASCO

Dr. Isaac Sanchez with Practice Administrator Julce Belo


Adventist Health owned by Dr. Isaac Sanchez opened up a year ago at 1040 7th St.

Inside the office, the waiting room chairs are now safely distanced and each patient is greeted by a receptionist behind a protected counter. After stepping through the door, each patient is also screened for a fever.

Sanchez is originally from McFarland and his wife, Vanessa, is from Soledad. The two decided to move to Bakersfield, which was a compromise from rural McFarland and the much-larger Soledad community. Prior to arriving in Wasco, Dr. Sanchez treated obstetrics patients.

“There have been a few patients I look forward to seeing each visit,” Sanchez said. “They might have a dire diagnosis, but they have the best attitude. They are always up-beat and positive.”

His family medicine practice consists mainly of patients with cold-like symp-toms, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Adventist Health takes Medi-Cal, Medi-care and PPO insurance plans. The practice does not take any HMO plans. There is also a discount medical insurance plan for those without medical coverage.

Adventist Health recently welcomed Nurse Practitioner Amberlee Montarella. The clinic covers preventative medicine, wellness exams, women’s health and chron-ic disease management.

Sanchez obtained his residency at Ad-ventist Health White Memorial in East Los Angeles.

Montarella has a master’s in nursing/family nurse practitioner from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. as well as a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Central Arkansas. She is certified in the American Association of Nurse Practitio-ners.

Sanchez is currently seeing new patients and an appointment can be made at 661-758-7801. Call for office hours.

Adventist Health thriving one year after opening


The Shafter Police Department has an active K-9 Unit that has been serving the city since the reinstatement of the program.

The team consists of Senior Officer Kevin Green and his K-9 partner, Ecko. Ecko is a 2-year-old Belgium Malinois born in Germany.

At the beginning of 2020, Chief Kevin Zimmermann presented the need for a K-9 Unit for the department to the City Council. Council members approved and the search was on for a suitable partner. Green was chosen to train with the K-9 partner, which was an intense period that challenged both canine and man.

The training consisted of over 45 days in narcotics detection, patrol training, and obedience training with the Bakersfield

Police Department K-9 Bureau. Upon suc-cessful completion of training, Ecko was state certified in patrol and narcotics de-tection in March. Green and Ecko began working in the city in April.

Ecko is utilized to conduct building, area, and vehicle searches for criminal sus-pects and narcotics. Since the K-9 team has been working the streets of Shafter, Ecko has located narcotics during searches of ve-hicles, bicycles and residences. Green and Ecko continue their training together on a monthly basis which consists of both patrol and narcotics detection to maintain Ecko’s state certifications.

Green has been with the Shafter Police Department since 2010. Since being hired by the department, he has worked patrol as-

signments and is also an instructor at the Shafter Police Department Range. Green and Ecko work patrol shifts together and continue to form a bond that benefits both the Police Department and the residents of the city.

Zimmermann said that the reinstatement of the program is a real benefit for the de-partment, as well as being a useful tool for interacting with the public.

“People and children seem to gravitate to the K-9 units at public functions and I believe that it is a positive asset in the re-

lationship with the city of Shafter, as well as being a valuable tool that aids us in our investigations in drug and theft cases,” the chief said.

Zimmermann said that the K-9 team provides a tremendous boost to their ability to locate and apprehend suspects in a man-ner that protects both the officers and the community from harm.

“The canine’s speed, agility, and height-ened sense of smell make them a powerful tool in apprehending dangerous criminals and detecting discarded evidence,” he said.

SHAFTER

K-9 team joins the Shafter Police Department

Senior Officer Kevin Green and his K-9 partner Ecko.

lunch for kids ages 2-18 (at select location) and the Kern Recovers PPE program.

Many indoor express services are now avail-able such as browsing, making copies, sending faxes, accessing public computers, customer account services and reference services.

Library cards are not required for online services such as virtual programming or reading challenges.

Currently in-person programming, study spaces, restrooms and water fountains are not available.

The library will be resuming more ser-

vices as the county moves through its re-opening phases.

Call 661-868-0701 or email [email protected] for more info.

Wasco Library opening with restrictionsFrom Page 1

Everyone who enters the library must wear a mask.

You can now go inside to make copies, access the computers or use

reference services among other things.


WASCO

Deadline for Sign-ups:

Oct. 30th


Special education, English learners, homeless and at-risk students could return to in-person instruction as soon as Oct. 27, reported Assistant Superintendent Rob Cobb at the Oct. 8 board meeting.

Cobb said since the county moved into the red tier on Tuesday, schools must wait an additional 14 days prior to reopening for in-person instruction.

“At the present time, Wasco Indepen-dent High School, Special Education, Eng-lish Language, homeless and at-risk stu-dents could start school Tuesday, Oct. 27,” Cobb said. “However, Wasco High School students will not start until after Martin Lu-ther King’s birthday, Jan. 19. We are taking great care to protect the safety of our stu-dents and staff.”

The district sent out parent surveys to determine how many students will return for in-person school. In addition, the dis-trict will send out staff surveys to determine

the climate, support and potential need for staff.

Students at Wasco High School are not scheduled to return until after Jan. 19, if the county is in the red tier or better.

“We will follow the Kern County Health Department’s recommendations as always,” Cobb confirmed.

Anticipation for the return to class is high on everyone’s list for a brighter out-look on the new year.

In other business, the board named Cobb as superintendent beginning Jan. 1, at $150,000 a year plus benefits for a one-year contract.

Cobb also spoke during the meeting on Career Training Education, which replaced North Kern Vocational Training Center af-ter North Kern closed its doors in 2019.

“All students need minimum academic skills,” Cobb said. “All students should have opportunities for further education.”

He stressed that schools cannot offer everything because they have limited re-sources.

The three areas of education in high school are Vocational Education, Career Training Education and Early College.

Career Training Education involves a multiyear sequence of courses that in-tegrates core academic knowledge with technical and occupational knowledge to provide students with a pathway to postsec-ondary education and careers.

The Early College Pathway allows high school students to begin college course work using dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment and connected credit to begin a certificate or degree.

Some of the pathways offered at the school include plant/soil science, ag me-chanic, animal science, wonderful ag prep, wonderful ag prep – ag mechanics, wonder-ful ag prep – ag business, multimedia, cu-linary arts, allied health, public safety and industrial automation.

WUHSD district preparing for reopening

Assistant Superintendent Rob Cobb was named superintendent beginning on Jan. 1 during the board meeting.


A 35-year-old Shafter man was seri-ously wounded after a shooting Saturday morning on the outskirts of town.

Kern County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies were dispatched to the area of Poplar Avenue and Burbank Street after re-ceiving reports of shots fired. When depu-ties arrived, they found the 35-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

The man was taken to Kern Medical Center for treatment. The injuries were considered non-life threatening. The de-

partment said that the injured man was uncooperative when providing information about the shooting.

According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Department, the reporting party said that they heard shots fired as a vehicle drove by, but at this time, it has not been deter-mined whether it was a drive-by shooting. No suspect information is available at this time. Anyone with information regarding this shooting is encouraged to contact the department at 661-861-3110.

Man wounded in shooting near Shafter

SHAFTER


A Shafter man was killed on Saturday when the ATV he was riding crashed into a power pole near Wasco.

Jesus Manuel Luna II, 28, was riding on Wildwood Road south of Highway 46 near Wasco. California Highway Patrol officials said that at approximately 12:05 a.m. offi-cers were sent to the area after receiving a report of a collision. When they arrived at the scene, they found a man, later identified as Luna, had suffered fatal injuries and he

was pronounced dead at the scene.The department said that officers learned

that Luna had been riding a 2019 Yahama Raptor southbound on Wildwood Road when, for unknown reasons, he drifted to the right and off the road before striking a power pole.

The rider was ejected from the Yahama and was killed. The highway patrol also said that Luna was wearing an approved helmet. The collision is still under investigation.

Shafter man dies after crashing ATV near Wasco

SHAFTER

WASCO

Man in critical condition after shooting


A man was seriously injured Saturday after a shooting in Wasco.

On Oct. 10, deputies were dispatched at 9 p.m. to the 1000 block of 16th St. where a man was found with multiple gunshot wounds.

The man was alert and conscious and

airlifted to Kern Medical Center because his injuries were serious.

The identity of the victim is unknown. Anyone with information about the shoot-ing is asked to call 861-3110 or Secret Wit-ness at 322-4040.

Your hometown newspaper.

SUPPORT YOUR

LOCAL PAPER.Read it.Subscribe by calling Erica Soriano at 661-292-5100. In your mailbox every week, it’s only $49 a year. Or pick up a free copy at drops all over town.

Contribute to it.Call Editor Jamie Stewart with news tips at [email protected] or 661-292-5100. Call or e-mail Erica Soriano with calendar items at [email protected] or 661-292-5100.

Advertise in it.Reach Wasco people to sell your products or services fast! Contact Kathy Smithee today to find out what’s best for you. She’s at 661-661-5100 or [email protected]


According to the Kern County Depart-

ment of Public Health, Shafter showed a

significant decrease in new coronavirus

cases from last week, with a little over 40

new cases, compared to 200 the previous

week. However, the decrease may be the

result of a backlog of tests whose results

have not been confirmed. There likely was

a slight decrease, though, as a result of the

closures of several buildings, including res-

taurants’ dine-in areas, city buildings, and

other non-essential businesses.

In a move to assist restaurants and re-

tail stores trying to stay afloat, Shafter

has waived the fees for temporary use

permits for those restaurants and retail

businesses that are turning their outdoor

areas and parking lots into dining and

sales areas.


Family-owned businesses are among the

losers during the covid-19 pandemic.

Familiar places that are part of the home-

town landscape are shutting their doors and

saying goodbye to longtime customers and

friends.Prior to Hoyett’s Facebook

announce-

ment last Saturday that they sold the long-

time Wasco restaurant, Joyful Steps at 747

F Street held what looked like a large yard

sale, which turned out to be its going-out-

of-business sale.Several attempts have been

made to

contact owners Christopher and Gabriella

Carlsberg; however, no luck in being able to

reach out to them. An email to the Bee busi-

ness that Christopher owned bounced back

and no one answered the telephone number

on the business card.

JAMIE STEWART The Shafter Press

The schools in the Richland School District opened

their doors, at least figuratively, on Aug. 6, beginning a first

semester that will have the

students learning from a

distance, as they did at the end of the last semester.

The district had planned for students to attending in per-

son on an alternating basis, with one group going to school

on Mondays and Tuesdays and another group going on

Thursdays and Fridays, with the students distance learning

the rest of the week.

But according to interim Superintendent Rosa Rome-

ro, that plan

was halted af-

ter Governor

Newsom on

July 17 put

further restric-

tions on school

districts.“The gov-

ernor said that

a county had

to be off of the

watch list for

14 consecutive

days, have mask requirements in place, which we did, and

physical distancing practices in place. We did what we have

control over, but unfortunately, Kern County didn’t qualify

for in person learning,” Romero said.

Distance learning was a challenge last year for the edu-

cators and the families, Romero said. With more time to

JAMIE STEWART The Shafter Press

The Shafter Children’s Summer Theater celebrated

its 25th anniversary with three performances of The

Lion King over the weekend. The performances were

put on at Shafter’s Ford Theater and streamed for the

audience to watch it virtually. The production was put

on by Cris Starrh and her staff of volunteers.

Starrh began the SCST when her children were small

and needing something to do during the summer. In

partnership with the Shafter Recreation Department and

Shafter High School, they started the children’s theater

with a production of “101 Dalmations.”

The theater used kids in grades K-8, and after seeing

the impact the plays had on children and the community,

Starrh decided to keep it going after her kids aged out

of the program.Some other productions put

on by the SCST were

The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella,

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Vol. 93 No. 7 • Shafter, California

Vol. 43 No. 7 • Wasco, California

Thursday, August 13, 2020

FREE!UPDATES ONLINE AT THESH

AFTERPRESS.COM AND WASCOTRIB.COM

WASCOSHAFTER

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Shafter Ave, Shafter, CA 93263Western Union, Money Orders, Pa

y Bills

Authorized for City of Shafter and PG&E Bills


Breakfast and lunch

will be provided free

of charge, with various

pickup locations.

Virus takes its toll

See VIRUS Page 5

See PAIR Page 5


As Wasco faces the consequences of

ignoring recommendations in a decade-old

study, City Manager Daniel Ortiz-Hernan-

dez addressed the current water pressure

problems in a report to the City Council on

Aug. 4.Ortiz-Hernandez said the ci

ty did not

follow through with the more crucial parts

of a water management study in 2007.

That study made various recommenda-

tions and while some of the less important

suggestions were completed, the recom-

mendations for adding storage capacity and

drilling additional wells were not realized.

Ortiz-Hernandez said the city’s comput-

er system issued low water pressure alerts

in 2019 that also went unaddressed.

“Had they been reviewed and analyzed,

the city could have taken proactive steps to

mitigate and avoid the issues we encoun-

tered this spring and the expense we have

incurred thus far,” he said.

Mayor Tilo Cortez said 2007-08 was the

beginning of the financial collapse and the

recession. “The city was in a financial cri-

sis and had to let go a significant number

of staff,” he said. At the time, Cortez said,

Larry Pennell was the city manager.

Council members then were Cortez,

Danny Espitia, Cherylee Wegman, Larry

Pearson and Fred West. (West and Pearson

have since passed away). Wegman said she

didn’t know why the city is currently expe-

Well #5 is on 8th Street.

See WASCO Page 5

See CHILDREN'S Page 5 See SCHOOLS Page 5

Ignoring water woes

costing city now

Kids perform Lion KingSHAFTER

The Lion King cast performed three shows over the weekend.

Schools openwith distancelearning only

WASCO

SHAFTER

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Para averiguar cuánto puedes ahorrar en tu seguro de auto y recibir una cotización, ponte en contacto con Trenea Smart.Bakersfield



Vol. 93 No. 8 • Shaft er, CaliforniaVol. 43 No. 8 • Wasco, California

Thursday, August 20, 2020


WASCO

Quality gas for a very low price!!!Purchase 10 Gallons or more and get a free Fountain Drink!!!Breakfast & Grill 3AM-12PM Call in your order at 661-746-6082.Open Mon-Sat 3AM-2AM • Sunday 5am-1am127 S Shafter Ave, Shafter, CA 93263

Western Union, Money Orders, Pay BillsAuthorized for City of Shafter and PG&E Bills


TONI DEROSAThe Wasco TribuneWith the cost of Kern County Fire De-partment service expected to rise, the city manager of Shafter sug-gested that his city and Wasco jointly seek alternatives to the KCFD with a cost-sharing agreement.

Wasco City Manager Daniel Ortiz-Her-nandez said getting the Board of Supervisors to consider such an approach could be dif-fi cult. Ortiz-Hernandez also said a detailed evaluation needs to be done to determine exactly what services the fi re department provides and to compare costs with private companies. The City Council also addressed the pur-

JAMIE STEWARTThe Shafter PressShafter will host a group of representa-tives from nine cities to review a new reim-b u r s e m e n t proposal that was put before the Kern County Board of Supervisors.

The proposal would drastically increase the fi re services costs for the nine cities. Those cities are: Shafter, Wasco, Taft, Mc-Farland, Delano, California City, Tehachapi, Maricopa and Arvin.A study done by the Kern County Fire De-partment found that those cities had been sub-stantially underpaying for services provided by the Kern County Fire Department. The structure of the proposal would change the

Fire cost-sharing pact eyedAlternative to KCFD sought Shafter to host

9-city panel

JAMIE STEWARTThe Shafter PressThe Richland School District had planned to begin in-person schooling on Aug. 6, but that was before Governor New-som restricted school districts to distance learning in counties on the state’s watch list. That made it necessary for Kern County schools to teach via the internet.While distance learning presents a series of challenges, the Richland School District has made the learning a positive experience by integrating lessons with sessions that al-

low the students to communicate with one another, even if it is not face to face.The school day begins for sixth-grade teacher Candie Springer by logging on to their classroom, while the students log on to join the class, followed by roll call. Roll is taken by the students un-muting their mi-crophones announcing “here,” with their picture popping up on the screen. Each student is equipped with a laptop with a

A teacher describes herdistance learning day

See A TEACHER'S Page 8 Candie Springer teaches her class from her home.

TONI DEROSAThe Wasco TribuneYou can’t walk anywhere in Wasco with-out seeing people wearing masks. Businesses are now requiring customers to wear a mask in order to enter enter the establishment.Masks are the fi rst line of protection against the covid-19 corona-virus, and those who don’t wear one are risking either getting sick or getting some-one else sick.Many people keep a mask handy in their vehicle so they can pop it on while walking into a business.

Walmart, which had been ambivalent about masks, now enforces them once you enter the store.Customers ordering take-out must also wear a mask when picking up their order.Employees at Café 101, Walmart, Star-bucks, True Value, Dollar Tree, The Dollar Store, hair salons, Fiesta Market, Hong Kong Restaurant and the smaller shops on 7th Street all require customers to wear a mask when entering.

Large stores like Walmart and many smaller shops also have social distancing

markers for their customers.At PrimeX, all employees wear a mask, as well as a protective smock and gloves when they enter the business.The FastStrip Market on Poso also asks

customers to wear a maskWith school starting last week, students and all teachers and staff all wore masks.Kern County Sheriff’s Offi ce Lieutenant Peter Martinez said at a City Council meeting that with people wearing masks, it’s more dif-fi cult to determine who is a criminal because everyone comes in wearing a mask.

Face it, wearing masks has caught on

SHAFTER

WASCO

Masks are all in the family with the Herreras visiting from Palm Springs.

ABOVE: A Houchin blood donor waits for his turn. RIGHT: Stu-dents from Palm Avenue School pose with their masks.

See FIRE Page 8

See SHAFTER Page 8

SHAFTER

The Shafter City Council discusses plans to relocate the Regional Transit Bus stop to Stringham Park

very little the city can do to stop the High Speed Rail from continuing. “The voters voted it in in 2007,” he said. “The HSR can-not receive any public funding, and the city has little control.”

Martinez continued that Amtrak is sub-sidized by the city, and won’t be stopping in Wasco.

Drescher then asked, if elected, how do you plan to dispose of the old “Labor Camp” site without it costing so much money?

Ward responded that maybe the city can provide a buyer to clean it up and make it into some kind of park.

Another idea Ward suggested was to bring an industrial park into Wasco and/or the city could offer tax incentives.

Kim said he didn’t think finding a buyer will happen because of the price; however, if the price is right, a sale could happen. “I would sell it,” he said.

Olvera acknowledged that the site is not marketable for sale; however, she envisions negotiation opportunities. “We are experi-

encing a public health issue,” she said. “We could have 20 acres of land available for growth,” she said.

Martinez said that it would cost the city $10 million to tear down because of the as-bestos in the buildings. “We have to spend the money,” Martinez said.

Drescher then asked each candidate to discuss how they would approach the homeless problem in the city and what steps would the candidate take to alleviate it.

Kim responded that it wasn’t just a homeless problem. “It is a poverty prob-lem,” he said. “I know some homeless peo-ple and the situation is sad. Many can’t get a job,” he said.

Martinez responded to the question by stating that the Kern County Board of Su-pervisors has been addressing this issue and is doing a good job in trying to help the homeless.

“It is a mental health or drug issue,” Martinez said. “They don’t want to be helped.”

Martinez added that because the courts

From Page 1

Continued on Page 7

Forum discusses water concerns, High Speed Rail

From left, candidate Tilo Cortez and candidate Eddie Saldana.


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FFA presents 2021 officersTONI DEROSAThe Wasco Tribune

The new FFA officers for the 2020-21 school year were recently announced.

The students include President Makinley Wankum, Re-porter Sofia Reyes, Parlia-mentarian Kalani Castillo,

Chapter Vice President Nicholas Padilla, Member Vice President Lindsay Lee, Treasurer Gladis Castillo, Com-munity Vice President Nicholas Gutierrez, Historian Jes-sica Corcuera, Sentinel Rafael Torres and Chaplain Joshua Cooley.

The Wasco Ag Boosters also hosted a virtual show and livestock sale with sheep, swine and goat exhibitors.

Farao said that the students took care of each of their animals from June through the fair auction.

“The students made more money because of the out-pouring of support from the community then if they had gone to the Kern County Fair,” Ag teacher and FFA Advisor Anthony Farao said.

WASCO

Parliamentarian Kalani Castillo Chapter Vie President Nicholas Padilla

Sentinel Rafael Torres

Secretary Vianey Padilla

Treasurer Gladis CastilloChaplain Joshua Cooley

President Makinley Wankum

Community Vice President Nicholas GutierrezMember Vice President Lindsay Lee

Reporter Sofia Reyes Historian Jessica Corcuera


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SHAFTERJAMIE STEWARTThe Shafter Press

The Richland School District Food Ser-vices department has been hard at work since the pandemic forced the school build-ings to close its doors.

Though the students are not able to at-tend school in-person, they are still in need of a nutritious breakfast and lunch, which have been provided by the staff.

This week, The Shafter Press is featur-ing the staff at Golden Oak Elementary. Led by Team Leader Jennifer Ashmore, the staff at Golden Oak serve between 650 and 715 students daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday each week. This includes meals that are delivered to the Smith Corner’s/ La Colonia route as well.

Staff members pack around 7,000 food items daily into bags to hand out.

Between 150 to 250 cars pass through the drive-thru in the 90 min-utes the staff members serve between noon and 1:30 p.m. Most staff are split between an early morning group and a mid-morning to after-noon group to allow them to maintain social distancing. Masks and gloves are worn through-out the shifts and surfac-es are sanitized.

In addition to Ash-more, the staff at Golden

Oak includes Benita Hernandez, Alissa Cortez, Claudia Espinoza, Ana Hernan-dez De Perez, Maria Hernandez, Patricia Hiriarte, Frances Luna, Jessica Jimenez, Brandie Rockey and Yolanda Villavicencio.

Nutritional Services Director Mason Hollingsworth said that his staff works hard to provide a nutritious and delicious meal for the students and this goal is met with such an amazing, hard-working staff.

Students receiving meals during pandemic

The Golden Oak late crew prepare grab and go lunches.

The Golden Oak operation includes delivering to stu-dents in the Smith Corner’s/La Colonia area.

WASCOTONI DEROSAThe Wasco Tribune

Frosty King has been in the same family for over 35 years, and Mohamed Pazou is currently running the Wasco restaurant.

The family is originally from Hanford where they owned a liquor store until they moved to Wasco.

“The liquor store was sold to an uncle in

Hanford,” Pazou said. Pazou added that that the restaurant is

closed during most legal holidays; how-ever, they open for Christmas Day, which is one of the busiest days of the year for them.

They only em-ploy family and currently have four family members that work at Frosty King.

“The restaurant was turned over to a woman for five years; however, she couldn’t keep it open and closed it down,” Pazou said. “It was empty for five years and we reopened it.” Pazou said that at that time, it was for lease or sale; but the family decided to reopen it and it’s been suc-cessful since that time.

“Frosty King makes the best milkshakes,” Orch-dea Ocampo said. “Their Supreme Na-chos are great!”

Pazou worked with his older broth-er at the restaurant and he said that

business was always good.The COVID-19 pandemic did not affect

Frosty King because most of their custom-ers are take out. There is a small seating

area in the front of the building; but most customers use the drive-thru.

Working alongside Pazou on Wednes-day, Sept. 23, was his nephew Zahran Gaza-li. Both were enthusiastic about the number of customers who come by.

Their motto is that customers are treated

like family.Some of the more popular menu items

include their shakes, Texas Burger, Nachos Supreme and Pastrami.

Frosty King at 1032 Highway 46 can be reached at 661-758-2606 for take-out or-ders.

Family-owned Frosty King impresses with its service

Owner Mohamed Pazau, right, with his nephew Zahran Gazali.

A street view on Highway 46 of the front of Frosty King.

Just a few of the menu items.

Mayor Tilo Cortez announced this week that appoint-ment-only Covid-19 testing is now available in Wasco at the Wasco Library, 1102 7th St., Tuesday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Those interested in getting a test should be aware of: An appointment is necessary by calling 888-634-1123. Face coverings are required. No drive-thru service. Insurance is accepted.

Hi, neighbor! Drop by anytime.Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states, in all GEICO companies, or in all situations. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. © 2019 GEICO




Vol. 92 No. 51 • Shafter, CaliforniaVol. 42 No. 51 • Wasco, California

Thursday, June 18, 2020


SHAFTER

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Western Union, Money Orders, Pay BillsAuthorized for City of Shafter and PG&E Bills


JAMIE STEWARTThe Shafter PressThe Shafter City Council got a sneak peek at the 2020-21 budget at a special meeting Monday night.The budget is very different than what had been pro-jected in earlier discussions, primarily the result of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.Consultant William Stadler, who was retained by the city to help them form the budget, presented the coun-cil with an overview that included a drastic reduction in capital improvement projects that the city had previ-ously slated for the next fiscal year.In a move that is being called a “chilling,” the Coun-cil has been advised to pause improvement projects that

had been budgeted the current fiscal year, but had not moved forward as yet. They decided to move forward to completion with the projects that have already been started, but to hold off on new projects. “They are still in the budget, but they will be chilled and will not be moved forward on until 2021-2022,” said City Manager Gabriel Gonzales.Another “chill” on the agenda is limiting hiring, including 11 open positions that have not been filled. The council was advised to fill four of those vacancies, including two of the four positions open for police offi-

Sales tax continues to lead the city in revenue.

See BUILDINGS Page 4

‘Chilling’ budget preview

JAMIE STEWARTThe Shafter PressThe Shafter City Council approved a resolution that allows the city to receive almost $700,000 in emergency funds for the Covid-19 pan-demic. The council also extended its state of local emergency, which enables City Manager Gabriel Gonzales to act if an emergency calls for it.

It also keeps the city open for additional reimbursement for costs as a result of the crisis.The County of Kern recently received $157 million in funds for the crisis. Shafter’s share of the funds came to $698,000.

The council also approved an agreement with Balance Public Relations, whose job will be to protect the City of Shafter’s inter-ests during the closing process of the MCCF, which is supposedly going to be closed by the end of 2021, if not sooner. The company is headed by Shafter High Graduate Dean Florez.The closure of the facility will cost the city an estimated $1.8 million annual loss in revenue. It is not clear what will become of the facility once it is closed.Also on the agenda was a proposal to raise residential rates by Varner Bros. and American Refuse for the residen-tial areas that they cover, including the Gossamer Grove area. The raise for this coming year will be 2.9%. This does not affect the core city of Shafter -- serviced by the city of Shafter -- except for the commercial businesses.In other council action, the property at 402 Central was declared as surplus land and not necessary for the city’s use, putting the building and parking lot up for sale. Shafter/Wasco Publishing is in the space now, along empty space that housed the former Brookside Deli. Any plans for de-veloping the land must be approved by the city beforehand, according to the council’s resolution.

City gets $700k for Covid-19Council plans forprison closure

SHAFTER

WASCO

WASCO

Testing site opens

TONI DEROSAWasco TribuneThere are three types of students who attend Wasco Independence High School, Principal Martin Lonza said as the school pre-pared its commence-ment ceremony for 105 graduates: students who have fared poorly at larger schools, adults who are seeking their high school diploma, and students studying from home.

The first type of student, he said, are those who come to Independence High because they’ve fallen behind in their coursework, had spotty attendance “and need a smaller, more focused environment to succeed.” Many of these students have experienced gaps in attendance, failed multiple courses, lost interest in school, are par-ents or had discipline issues. “Many simply perform better in a school that can focus more on them as indi-vidual,” he said. “There are as many reasons for placing a student at WIHS as there are students,” Lonza said. The criteria are simple: “Is a student at risk of not completing high

school, and are they better served in the WIHS environ-ment?” A second group of students are those in the adult education program. “This program is primarily for any person over the age of 18 who has not yet received a high school diploma or needs to learn English,” Lonza said. “The students who graduate from the program have now com-pleted the requirements for a diploma.” The third most common type of student are those in

105 graduate WIHSStruggling studentsget their reward

See GRADUATION Page 4

Speaker Lucio RiveraSpeaker Pearla Hernandez

Ryan Rodriguez, graduate speaker for Wasco In-dependence High School.

The closure of the facility will cost the city an estimated

$1.8 million in lost revenue annually.

Your hometown newspaper.

Support your local paper.Read it.

Subscribe by calling Erica Soriano at 661-292-5100. In your mailbox every week, it’s only $49 a year. Or pick up a free copy at drops all over town.

Contribute to it.Call Editor Jamie Stewart with news tips at [email protected] or

661-292-5100. Call or e-mail Erica Soriano with calendar items at [email protected] or 661-292-5100.

Advertise in it.Reach Wasco people to sell your products or services fast! Contact Kathy Smithee today

to find out what’s best for you. She’s at 661-661-5100 or [email protected]

TONI DEROSAWasco Tribune

It took over four years to open th

e new-

est restaurant in Wasco.

Posts were spotted on Facebo

ok last

week asking Panda Express wo

uld open –

not an uncommon questions the

couple of

years -- and fi nally, on Saturday ,

the restau-

rant saw a line of cars waiting in

the drive-

thru.Panda Express’

application was brought

to the City Council four years ag

o but sev-

eral negotiations needed to take

place be-

fore the restaurant could obtain

its desired

spot in front of the Walmart Sup

ercenter on

Highway 46.

Cars were lined up all the way to

the en-

trance of the Walmart parking lo

t for most

of the day. Drivers were cour

teous, and

patiently waited their turn at th

e drive-up

window. Walk-in traffi c was als

o high be-

cause people did not know what

to expect

and whether guests would be allo

wed to sit

down and enjoy their meal or ord

er and take

it out.The restaurant s

et up some rules for en-

trance.

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tions. GEICO is a registered service mark

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mpany, Washington, DC 20076; a Berksh

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Vol. 92 No. 50 • Shaft er, Californ

ia

Vol. 42 No. 50 • Wasco, Californ

ia

Thursday, June 11, 2020

FREE!UPDATES ONLIN

E AT THESHAFTERPRESS.COM A

ND WASCOTRIB.COM

SHAFTER

WASCO

JAMIE STEWART

The Shafter Press

Shafter has a new Distinguis

hed

Young Woman, and her na

me is

Shelbee Ramos.

With the

competition held online, incl

uding

video interviews, taping their rou

tines,

including Self Expression and th

e Tal-

ent competitions, this year’s pr

ogram

navigated through unchartered

terri-

tory.With the event o

riginally scheduled

for Friday, March 20, the corona

virus

situation made it necessary to

fi rst

postpone the program. Accord

ing to

Toni Franz of the Shafter DYW

pro-

gram, the event was shifted to

June

at Shafter’s Ford Theater, with s

afety

guidelines in place.

With the restrictions still too mu

ch

for the program to go on as pla

nned,

it was decided to hold the event

online, with the con-

testants recording their routines a

nd going through their

interviews online.

Ramos won the title, which inclu

des a $2,000 schol-

arship. She also received the Phy

sical Fitness award and

the Scholastic award, good for an

other $400 in scholar-

ships. Alicia Pompa was named th

e First Alternate and

received a $1,500 scholarship aw

ard. Pompa also won a

$200 scholarship for taking top

honors in the Self Ex-

pression phase of the competition

.

Second Alternate is Santana De

larosa, which came

Even virtually,

Shelbee Ramos

is Distinguished

Young Woman

SHAFTER

Big day for Panda

Patience pays off for diners

TONI DEROSAWasco Tribune

A statue at St. John’s

Evangelical Catholic

Church was vandalized last

week.The

statue that stood on a pedes-

tal at the side of the church

on 9th Place was disfi gured

after someone removed the

head and arms.

“There is no clear evi-

dence as to who did this,”

Father Raul Sanchez-Flores

said. “The church’s cam-

era only captured shadows,

and the camera across the

street was too far away.” All

Sanchez-Flores could verify

was that someone saw a per-

son cross the street but was

unsure what weapon they

used. He said the incident

only took about 20 seconds.

The statue’s head and

arms were cut off, and the

parts were found scattered

at the foot of the statue.

“At fi rst I was angry,

then I was depressed and

now I’m frustrated,” said

Sanchez-Flores.

On Monday, he noticed

“someone had covered

the statue with a white

shroud.”Sanchez-Flores

said he

hopes to open the church

to regular services in July.

“We can only seat about

100 in the church at one

time due to the COVID-19

regulations,” he said. “Our

5 p.m. Saturday mass and

Sunday 10 a.m. mass will

both be in English.”

St. John’s Church

statue is vandalized

St. John’s Church statue wrapped up

after vandalism.

See ST. JOHN'S Page 4

See LINES Page 5

Customers waited in line to place th

eir order or be rung up by the cashie

r.

WASCO

JAMIE STEWART

The Shafter Press

The City of Shafter has reopened

government buildings,

including City Hall, with safety r

estrictions in place.

At a recent City Coun-

cil meeting, City Manager

Gabriel Gonzales said, “We ar

e opening our city build-

ings to the public on Monday.

But, we will be observ-

ing safety guidelines to protect

our staff, as well as the

residents.”Upon arriving a

t City Hall, visitors are met with

a cou-

ple of canopies that are in use i

n case of lines outside of

the building. There is a limit of tw

o people that are allowed

in the public areas of the buildin

gs at one time; a posting

reminds those coming inside th

at a facemask is required.

Social distancing is in force, too

.

Making an appointment may be

required. “It depends

on what department you are goin

g to.” The assistant to the

city manager, Rachel Zermeno, s

aid.

For example, if you have busine

ss with the city man-

ager or city clerk, you are requ

ired to make an appoint-

ment by calling 661-746-5000 o

r by emailing Zermeno at

[email protected] or City

Clerk Yazmina Pallares at

[email protected].

If you are visiting the human re

sources offi ce, it is by

appointment only also. You need

to email [email protected],

or call 661-746-5003.

For the fi nance offi ce, which

includes questions re-

garding utility payments, busi

ness licenses, and new

service, the offi ce is open from

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is

open during lunch. You can cal

l 661-746-5001 with any

questions, although residents ar

e encouraged to pay bills

online.If you need to g

o to the city services offi ce, with

ques-

tions regarding building permits

, parks and Veterans Hall

rentals, and planning and code e

nforcement, the offi ce is

open to the public from 8 a.m. to

5 p.m. and are open during

lunch. Their phone number is 66

1-746-5002.

RebuildbeginsCity opensits offi ces

Shelbee Ramos, Distinguished Youn

g Woman.

Alicia Pompa won First Alternate

and the Self Expression awards.

Second Alternate is Santana

Delarosa.

See DYW Page 5


The Shafter City Council approved a new pilot program

that would assist new busi-nesses interested in coming to Shafter, while also retaining those businesses already in

place.The new pro-

gram will reduce building permit fees, as well as other fees to mod-ify existing busi-nesses, by 75 per-cent.

During the pan-demic, a number of businesses in Shafter have strug-gled to remain open while adher-ing to the gover-nor’s public safety guidelines.

In particu-lar, restaurants in Shafter have not been able to offer inside dining for months, with the only alternatives being

take-out orders and outside dining. For those restaurants

that have adequate outdoor space, the reduction of outdoor

dining fees has allowed them to remain open without the

added burden of paying permit fees.City Manager Gabriel Gonzales said this program would

have results that are twofold, with the ability to attract new

businesses to Shafter, while retaining those businesses al-

ready in place.“In particular,

there is a business possibility regard-ing a sporting goods store that would be able to build in the downtown area without the sub-stantial cost that the different per-mits and fees would mean,” Gonzales said. “This program will make it pos-sible for Shafter to continue our reputation as being a proactive community that

is business-friendly and keep us economically stable.”With the winter months coming, it will be necessary for

the many of the city’s restaurants to either put up portable

tents or structures to protect diners from the elements, or to

build a more permanent structure that the business could

keep going forward.In continuing the progress that Shafter has made ad-

dressing the concerns of those living in Northern Shafter,

Danielle Claybon, a Kern County Public Health advocate,

made a presentation regarding a new park being planned in

the area of Fresno Avenue and Highway 43. With the help

of a Proposition 68 grant from the government, the park

project would give North Shafter residents a park to enjoy

without having to venture to other parts of the city, giving


With the coronavirus pandemic requir-ing all of Shafter’s schools to begin the school year with distance learning, the Shafter Learning Center has played a vital role in the education of students, aiding the wonderful job that local schools have been doing to provide a quality education.

There are challenges that parents and students face as they navigate virtual learn-ing. Some parents have said the course ma-terial is a lot different than that which was taught when they were in school. There is also the level that each student is at in their learning career. Some learn a little quick-er than others and also learn at a different pace.

Tutoring allows students to get the extra help they may need as they attempt to com-plete their assigned work.

The Shafter Learning Center is there to help. Their services have adapted to the needs of students and they have launched their Vir-tual Shafter Learning Center and will con-tinue offering academic support online.

According to Learning Center director David Franz, the center is offering small group math and reading tutoring. “We have a great team of tutors ready to help our stu-dents, all of which are bilingual and have strong academic records,” he said.

Many of the tutors also have obtained

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Vol. 93 No. 15 • Shaft er, California Vol. 43 No. 15 • Wasco, California Thursday, October 8, 2020


SHAFTER

SHAFTER

SHAFTER

Council lowersfees to helpbusinesses


Each year, the National FFA orga-nization honors FFA members who

s h o w the ut-

most dedication to the organization through their desire to develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education.

The American FFA Degree is be-stowed upon a select group of stu-dents in recognition of their years of academic and professional excel-lence. This year 4,136 American de-grees were awarded.

Victoria Darling, Juan Espinoza, Dustin Giuntoli, Octavio Gonzalez, John Hill III, Jasmine Ortiz, An-eth Ramirez and Michael Vander Poel, members of the Shafter FFA chapter and graduates of Shafter High School, will be awarded the American FFA Degree at the 93rd National FFA Convention & Expo Oct. 27-29, to be held virtually.

Sponsored by Case IH, Elanco Animal Health and Syngenta, the

award recognizes demonstrated ability and outstanding achieve-ments in agricultural business, production, processing or service

programs.To be eligible, FFA members

must have earned and productively

Shafter FFA members awarded National American FFA Degree

Dustin Giuntoli

Jasmine Ortiz

Shafter Learning Center helping local students

Tutors at the Shafter Learning Center are playing a crucial role in the education of students in Shafter.See SHAFTER Page 3

See SHAFTER Page 3

Danielle Claybon, a Kern County Public Health advocate, makes a presentation about the new park being planned for North Shafter.

"This program will make it possible for Shafter to continue our reputation

as being a proactive community that is business-friendly.”

– City Manager Gabriel Gonzales.

See CITY Page 8


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$49

Diane Givens, GM

Weekly on Thursdays 52

PO Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263


661-292-5100

Michael E. Schroeder PO Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263

Jamie Stewart PO Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263

None

Shafter-Wasco Publishing LLC PO Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263

PO Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263PO Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263



Stanley Wilson

Larry Starrh

Josh WilsonCentral Connecticut Communications LLC

Stanley Wilson PO Box 789, Shafter, CA 93263

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The Shafter Press

Local News for Shafter area

09-10-2020

41

209

37

211

248 250

1502 1500

1502 1500

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1800 1800

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00

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DEATH NOTICESAgnes ``Lagatha’’ Meek, 81, of

Wasco passed away Oct. 6 in Wasco. Basham-Lara Funeral Care Shafter.

Yolanda Gutierrez Tellez, 19, of Shafter passed away Oct. 5 in Shafter. Basham-Lara Funeral Care Shafter.

Timothy W Skaggs, 53, of Bakers-field passed away Oct. 4. Peters Fu-neral Home Shafter.

Kenneth Merrill Cannon, 92, of Bakersfield passed away Oct. 8 in Ba-kersfield. Peters Funeral Home Shafter.

Caroline Anne Venable, 85, of Shafter passed away Oct. 11. Peters Funeral Home Shafter.

Michael L Cupps, 73, of Bakers-field passed away Oct. 12 in Bakers-field. Peters Funeral Home Shafter.

Breatha Mae Foots, 87, of Wasco passed away Oct. 10 in Wasco. Bash-am-Lara Funeral Care Shafter.

Jesus Manuel Luna II, 28, of Shafter passed away Oct. 9. Peters Fu-neral Home Shafter.

Andres Velasquez Salgado, 52. Wasco, Oct. 14, 2020, in Shafter, Pe-ters Funeral Home Wasco.

COUCH'S CORNER

DAVID COUCHDistrict 4 Supervisor

As Fourth District supervisor, I work with Kern County Animal Services on ef-forts to reduce the euthanasia rates in our county.

Recently, KCAS announced for the first time on record, that the shelters operated by the department reached no kill status. No-kill shelters prevent the killing of animals based on arbitrary criteria such as color, age or breed. Furthermore no-kill shelters find a placement for 90% of their population.

Reaching this important community achievement took unified leadership and was a personal goal of mine when you elected me to the Board of Supervisors. So while I am very pleased that we have achieved this I am especially grateful to Nick Cullen and his department who have worked so hard to get to this point. Let’s

reflect on the successful measures our com-munity enacted to reach this point.

In November of 2015, the board approved my referral to KCAS, requesting a report on a plan to convert the county’s shelter into a no-kill shelter. One month later, Director Nick Cullen responded to the board and pro-vided a presentation on attaining the goal of becoming a no-kill shelter within a five-year time frame. To witness the progress Kern County continues to make treating our ani-mals humanely is truly remarkable.

In September of 2020, KCAS eutha-nized only 40 animals. In other words, 94% of the animals are alive or found new homes last month. The 94% save rate pres-ents a significant improvement from 2011, when they euthanized over 18,000 animals. Eleven programs administered by KCAS assisted the community with achieving the goal set by the board and Director Nick

Cullen five years ago. The following pro-grams include:

KCAS Trap Neuter Return programKCAS Volunteer programKCAS Adoption programKCAS Rescue programKCAS Public Relations programKCAS Proactive Redemption programKCAS Foster programKCAS Pet Retention programKCAS Spray/Neuter programKCAS Rehabilitation programKCAS Leadership programThe KCAS Foster program allows mem-

bers of the community to care for animals that do not receive adoption immediately upon arrival to the shelter because they are too young, ill or injured. After completing an application, folks from the community take in these animals with a time commit-ment ranging from a weekend to several

months. In most cases the temporary stay turns into an adoption. In 2017, the pro-gram helped 1,148 animals and continues to surge in 2020.

During this difficult year of isolation and uncertainty, I admire our friends and neigh-bors of this county for supporting our Ani-mal Services by providing safety and care to our most vulnerable animals through the adoption and foster program. Also, thanks to the community for collaborating with our lo-cal rescue organizations to save pets off the street and for their assistance with reducing the number of stray animals in our shelter. In October, let’s continue maintaining our county’s no-kill status by working together as a community to advance this progress.

If you have any questions about this or any other matter, feel free to contact us at [email protected] or at 661-868-3680.

Kern County Animal Services reaches no-kill status

Swing by the Wasco Animal Shel-ter to meet Skelly. Skelly is a 10-year-old, male, medium black/white/cream short-coat Labrador. He came in as a stray. Skelly is not microchipped or neutered. He is great toward staff and other dogs and he has been tested with small and large-breed dogs. At this time, it is unknown if Skelly is house/crate trained. Dogs are not tested with children and cats; his behavior toward children and cats is unknown.

He will be available for adoption/rescue on Oct. 21. If you are inter-ested in him, please give the shelter a call to get more information and set up an appointment to meet him. Staff will get a hold of you during hours of operation. The shelter is closed and open by appointment only. If this is your dog, please con-

t

Documents

From left, candidate John Kim, candidate Vince Martinez ......General Manager: Diane Givens (661-292-5100; [email protected]) Editor: Jamie Stewart (661-292-5005; [email protected])