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Newspaper
Shafter Press
Location
Shafter, California, United States of America
Date
Mar 15, 1956
Page
1
The Shafter concert association, after a series of successful years, plans dissolution due to waning public support and rising costs. Mrs. John J. Peters Jr says no spring membership drive, but fall revival could occur with enough volunteers. Concerts were held at Wasco High School auditorium.
Five cotton experts from the Uni States Cotton farm in Shafter returned home after taking part in Fresno’s two day Western Cotton Production conference held last week. John H. Turner, director of the experimental station, announced reports on weed control germination seed quality and machine harvesting. More than 400 attendees from the West’s cotton industry attended the event sponsored by the National Cotton Council.
Police Commissioner Ben Grundy released a plea to merchants and their employees to park off the street in the shopping area. The move follows complaints that non-shoppers crowd downtown parking, with a two hour limit discussed but held to allow a solution without tickets. If offenders persist, the city will enforce parking ordinances.
John French buys Modern Market No 1 on South Shafter Avenue from his brother Ted. The store will reopen this weekend under new management with food bargains advertised extensively in the Shafter Press.
Four Shafter women compete for the title Mrs Shafter under Emil Stoller as contest chair The winner advances to a county contest in Delano on April 6 with a state contest in Los Angeles in early May The victor receives a silver platter while the county winner gets a gas clothes dryer and a 30 gallon water heater Judges are Mrs J L Hill Mrs John DeVincenzo and Leroy Neates Competing from Shafter are Mrs Jack Thompson Mrs Clifford Weaver Mrs John Notley Jr and Mrs Ernest Ehrhardt
Shafter High School music units received excellent marks at the Bakersfield annual Music Festival held last Friday. The band a cap pella girls choir and string group all competed with sight-reading tests. Director Ken Fahsbender praised three of four groups for superior sight-reading and noted standout judges from San Jose State, San Francisco State, College of the Pacific, and Oakland schools.
Mrs Suderman was unanimously named president of Richland's PTA succeeding Mrs Toews who retires next month. The slate approved includes Irvin Nickel as first vice president, Marvin Hoover as second vice president, Collins Hath as third vice president, John Stockton as financial secretary, Fred Schardt as recording secretary, Jim Gloeckler as treasurer, Joe Norris as auditor, and Dorris Wood as historian. Installation set for April 10.
The Shafter chamber of commerce reports 59 new members, 54 of them new to the group, bringing total paid members to 152 and past the 150 goal. President Merton L. Wiedmann aims for 165 and a third county ranking. a joint meeting with Delano is set for March 20 to bolster North Kern County interests.
Ed Chilla of Shafter High School will represent Shafter in the Lions District Student Speaker zone contest in McFarland at 7 15 tonight. He won last week’s Shafter Lions Club contest over Jim Jackson and Karen Jensen as judges and Lions president Vernon Wilson presented the awards. The zone winner advances to the regional contest in Fresno on a date to be announced.
The Shafter Lions Club announces its annual ham shoot on March 25 at the Superior Oil company lease south of town. Lowell Todd serves as committee chairman.
The California legislature commends George J. Harrison, Shafter agriculturist and former director of the United States cotton farm, for contributions to the state's cotton industry. The resolution, by H. W. Pat Kelly, lauds his work on the Acala 442 cotton stand and notes his California Farmer of the Year award.
Willie Kelly and Pat Cornell were named SHS state representatives for Girls and Boys State, Sacramento next June. The selection, made by local Legion and Auxiliary sponsors from faculty recommendations, recognized their character leadership citizenship and service capacity. Pat will attend Girls State at California Junior High School in Sacramento from June 20.
The city council voted to ban sirens on fire trucks and at the station house for any purpose except fires and emergencies. Fire Chief Nick Johnson said sirens at the station house confused volunteers and the public, prompting the wider prohibition which ended siren use for community drives and Santa Claus campaigns.
Pat Cornell won the dramatic interpretation division at the county festival held in Shafter on March 13. Nadine Hughes of North High was runner-up, with Diane Phoenix of Garces High winning the oratorical interpretation center. Shafter High’s Jerry Ragsdale placed fourth, Paul Husted of Taft High won extemporaneous speaking, and Ed Chilla of Shafter High finished third.
Adults may still enroll in the SHS adult general clothing class held Thursdays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Instructor Shirley Moore says students select their own projects, allowing new members to join at any time.
William H. Johnston, newly named city assessor, will begin a door to door campaign next week to check about 1000 homes in Shafter. He aims to levy 1956 57 tax assessments on real and personal property and plans to complete the work by late May.
William E. Waits a Shafter printer was elected commander of the Shafter VFW post. H. D. McCormick is senior vice commander Eugene Dirksen junior vice commander. Other officers include Maurice Howe quartermaster Dale Spohn chaplain Lawrence Packard two year trustee Dink Carroll three year trustee Robert G Baze one year trustee. The post has 24 members and meets the second and fourth Mondays at 8 pm in the Veterans Memorial hall.
General and Colonels teams from Pontiah face Cor Coran's varsity and junior varsity squads at South Ane High Friday afternoon. Shafter varsity coach Gaye Pare says the team is in pretty good shape despite limited practice. Shafter has beaten Arvin twice and lost to North High Bears 12 6 in a prior game column notes.
The Richland elementary school board announces no rise in teaching staff for the coming year. Only one new teacher will be added to the preparatory library staff, while other actions include awarding a landscaping contract for 831.20 to Cooper Flower Shop and selling two mobile classrooms to the Edison school district for 2500.
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