Clear skies. Low 58F. Winds light and variable..

Clear skies. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.

DELANO — Steve Kinsey, lifelong Delano resident, has been chosen as grand marshal of Delano’s 77th annual Harvest Holidays celebration. He was born in Delano in 1956 to Wayne and Betty Kinsey.

Steve and Cindy, his wife of 42 years, have five children: Chadney, Kara, Jacob, Matthew and Colton, as well as seven grandchildren.

He graduated from Delano High in 1974 and from Bakersfield College with an A.S. in fire science in 1979. He has certifications from the state as a fire officer, chief officer, EMT II and safety officer. He was a firefighter and engineer for the Delano Fire Department for 2½ years, first being employed in January 1975, at age 18. For the Kern County Fire Department, he served 37 years, as a firefighter, engineer, captain and battalion chief.

At age 23, he became the youngest in the nation at that time to be elected to the City Council. He was also mayor at age 26 and served from 1980 to 1984. From 1988 to 1992, he served as mayor and chairperson of Delano Redevelopment Committee. He represented the city on the Kern Council of Governments, was elected a director for Kern County Economic Development Corp. during that time, and served on the California League of Cities' Public Safety Committee.

Kinsey has served as chair and president of Delano Community Alliance, and since 1988, he has been a director for Delano Historical Society.

In his early years, he was a Cub Scout, Boy Scout and Explorer Scout and, later, an adviser to Explorer Post 948. He reached the rank of “Life Scout” in Boy Scouts. At age 15, he gained a private pilot’s license and before his solo flight had flown 13 different aircraft.

For nearly 47 years he has held membership in Delano Kiwanis Club, serving as president, vice president and secretary-treasurer. He was also lieutenant governor from Delano of Division 33 (Kern County clubs).

Besides his firefighting jobs, he and his wife owned and operated the Hook and Ladder Sandwich Co. restaurant at 1130 High St. in the early 1980s and farmed alfalfa hay, corn and oats under Kinsey Farming in the early ’90s.

Other community service over the years has included chair of North Kern Republican committee, director of California Foundation for Health and Delano Youth Center, president and director of Greater Delano Area Youth Foundation, president and director of Delano Wine and Harvest Festival, director of Delano Harvest Holidays Association, founding member and vice-president of Delano Jaycees, elder and board member of First Baptist Church of Delano and Community Bible Fellowship of Delano. “Our families are currently members of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield.”

Recognitions and awards he earned have included Hunter Education instructor for 47 years from California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Man of the Year and Doc Smith service award, both from Delano Chamber of Commerce, for Kiwanis Club community service for the Walter Dunlap award and Kiwanian of the Year and Distinguished Service award for Delano Kiwanis, 2019 inductee in the Delano Union School District Hall of Fame, and service award as county battalion chief from Mojave Chamber of Commerce. He also served or still serves on numerous committees, working with many people and organizations over the years.

“My parents taught me at an early age the importance of an education, having a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, treating others as you would like to be treated, giving back to the community, the importance of family and living a God-centered life. They were great role models for me. Through the years, I was blessed with many more people who helped to mold me to be the best I could be.”

Besides his community “work,” he enjoys reading, movies, music, crafting, hunting, fishing, camping, gardening, cruises and spending time with family and friends. “Our family has visited and traveled through more than 42 states and six countries, but Delano will always be home.”

The grand marshal will appear in the Oct. 8 Grand Parade starting at 10 a.m. on Main Street, and with royalty will be honored at the festival barbecue at the grassy area at the entrance at Memorial Park that evening.

The community is invited from 1 to 9 p.m. to be present at Memorial Park for several activities, including a health fair sponsored by Anthem QualCare.

Activities will also include pumpkin patch sponsored by Delano Kiwanis, booths and pop-ups for the entire family, a cow plop, raffles, musical entertainment and more.

New Harvest director Lori Guzman has arranged at least 11 vendors for the park during the afternoon and evening. She or Harvest president Claribel Gutierez, 661-778-3265, may be contacted for more information.

First Harvest event was the Sept. 17 Tiny Tots program. Gift cards for all candidates were donated by Principal Joshua Herrera or Nueva Vista School.

Many sponsors were also arranged for the Sept. 24 Queen/King scholarship program and for Harvest Holidays in general.

Recently confirmed donors have included Adventist Health, Anthem Health, YK America, Sevier’s Auto Supply, Santos Montemayor, Luis Pulido, Sunview Vineyards and the Soup Kitchen.

Tony’s Pizza has donated rice pilaf and green salad to the barbecue that starts Oct. 8 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance from the committee and royalty candidates or $20 at the event.

Charlotte Vera, a 12-year-old La Vina Middle School student, has an interesting hobby.

She is taking up boxing with the Outsiders Boxing group. She won her first championship belt Sept. 3 with a first-round TKO in the Shafter Boxing League match.

Displaying her two years of training, she was to box next on Sept. 17 in Lemoore.

A Thursday night has not been a good night for football attendance locally, so it was a surprise when I came across three former Delano High athletes at the Delano-Golden Valley football game.

The first ex-athletes whom I met were Delano High Athletic Hall of Fame inductees Darrell Duran and Anthony Martinez, both inducted for football. Duran also starred in basketball and baseball, and Martinez in baseball. I am not certain if I have seen either at a Delano athletic event since they left high school, but it was good to see both.

Then at the stadium “visitors” gate, a man said “Hi” and he was nice enough to say his name — Marlin Hiett. I think it was also his first return “home” to DHS. I have been scanning old Delano Records in the 1970s to gain information about upcoming Hall of Fame inductees, so I had seen his name in athletics during that time.

Hugo Rivas is president of the freshman class at Delano High and Gabby Mendez is the vice president.

Rivas plays on the frosh-soph football team, and Mendez is on the cheer squad.

Positive Cases Among Kern Residents: 286,398

Recovered and Presumed Recovered Residents: 273,186

Percentage of all cases that are unvaccinated: 72.25

Percentage of all hospitalizations that are unvaccinated: 83.19

Source: Kern County Public Health Services Department

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