Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

Articles written by Pat Doody


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  • VFW Post 12114 replaces flag at Chavez Center

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 28, 2024

    Pancho Colon and Danny Romero from Golden Hills VFW Post 12114 "Jason E. George" replace a worn American flag at the National Chavez Center in Keene on May 14. Post 12114 has taken on the project of replacing worn flags around Tehachapi. The veterans were assisted by Park Superintendent Erin Gates (left) and Ranger Miranda Hernandez (far right)...

  • Healthcare District appoints new board members

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 28, 2024

    On May 21, the Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District chose and swore in two new board members following the resignation last month of Bill Steele, who is moving away, and Dwayne Moats, who is retiring. To replace Steele, whose four-year term ends in November, the district chose BreAnne Patterson, head of nursing at Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley Hospital. Should she wish to continue past November, she will need to be placed on the November ballot. Christine Sherrill was chosen to fill the...

  • Tehachapi team participates in NICA Championships

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 28, 2024

    The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) held the 2024 SoCal League Championship Race on May 12 in Tehachapi. The race was held on the trails owned and maintained by the Tehachapi Mountain Trails Association (TMTA). Tehachapi's Mountain Bike Team participated in the event. Shown in the photo are, from left: Dylan Villapondo, Natalia Semerenko, Rachel DeVey and Rebecca Catalde....

  • Meet Your New Neighbors

    Pat Doody, Welcome Hostess|May 28, 2024

    In January of this year Erin Gates moved to Tehachapi from Eureka, California, where she had been Deputy Superintendent at Redwoods National and State Parks. She had two weeks to find a home before starting her new position as Superintendent of the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument, located in Keene. The grounds and museum, where Chavez made his home, became part of the National Park Service during the administration of President Barack Obama. Erin grew up in Glendale, California. She says that...

  • Commission approves auto storage lot

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 28, 2024

    At their May 13 meeting, the Tehachapi Planning Commission approved the use of a portion of a vacant lot, located at 432-C W. J St., to be used as a storage facility by Nathan’s Towing & Storage as a short-term storage and impound lot. Approximately one half acre of the 28-acre parcel will be used for the fenced and locked storage facility. There are no structures planned for the facility other than a storage unit for towing equipment. Nathan’s primary offices are located in Lancaster and the...

  • Artists demo around Tehachapi

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 28, 2024

    Artist were seen painting en plein air around Tehachapi on May 18. Many of the nearly 50 artists who visited Tehachapi from May 16-19 were out and about on Demo Day, giving the public a chance to watch them begin their work for the July 19-21 Art 2024 Tehachapi show. Among them were Tehachapi muralist Lyn Bennett painting en plein air at the Depot and 2024 Featured Artist Laura Wambsgans spent the day painting the vineyard at Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company....

  • Art 2024 artist demo day, May 18

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 11, 2024

    For the fourth consecutive year, the Tehachapi Arts Commission will be holding its nationally recognized art show at the Aspen Builders Community Activity Center in July. Those who have attended in prior years can attest to the beauty and creativity brought to canvas by the artists who come here to paint our community during the May paint out. This year, 50 artists from around the country will be painting in Tehachapi from May 17-19, beginning the paintings that will be submitted and juried...

  • City to expand BeeKay backstage area

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 11, 2024

    At their May 6 meeting, the Tehachapi City Council approved a project proposed by the city to add a 15 foot x 20 foot expansion space behind the BeeKay Theatre. The new area will be exterior walls only with other improvements to be decided and financed by the Tehachapi Community Theater organization. It is hoped that this project will solve some of the space problems that have plagued the theater since its restoration in 2006. The city understands that TCT has been able to put money aside to...

  • Meet Your New Neighbors

    Pat Doody, Welcome Hostess|May 11, 2024

    Barb Pfeiffer and John Campbell moved to their new Tehachapi home in January from Monrovia in Los Angeles County where they had lived for a less than a year. They wanted to find a place to live that would provide Barb a place to keep her horse, a Palomino named Trigger and their two dogs, a St. Bernard mix named Ellie and Barb's service dog, a 150-pound Great Dane named Little Lulu. Their new Tehachapi ranch has supplied them with space for everyone. Both divorced, the couple met by chance at th...

  • Council proclaims National Police Week

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 11, 2024

    In 1962, President John F. Kennedy originally declared the week of May 15 as National Police Week ... a time to honor those officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. Currently the week is used to give thanks to the men and women who serve daily, putting their lives in jeopardy to protect the community. During their May 6 meeting, the Tehachapi City Council proclaimed the week of May 12 - 18 as National Police Week in Tehachapi. It should be noted that Tehachapi has lost two...

  • New officer sworn in, two new sergeants pinned at Council meeting

    Pat Doody, staff writer|May 11, 2024

    The Tehachapi City Council meets on the first and third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. They are currently meeting at the Police Department Community Room, 220 W. C St....

  • New refuse rates, city projects approved by Council

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 27, 2024

    Assistant City Manager Corey Costelloe held a public hearing before asking the City Council to approve the new refuse/recycling rates mandated by SB1383 and the organic recycling program to take effect on July 1. City Clerk Ashley Whitmore said that the city had received only 20 letters of protest and one letter of support for the measure. While the program began statewide on April 1, the city had received permission to defer the program to July 1. The proposed rate increase for residential cust...

  • Rotary presents Service Above Self award

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 27, 2024

    The Tehachapi Rotary Club presented a Service Above Self award to South Street Digital at their April 18 meeting for donating the creation of Rotary's annual Kindergarten Books. The books containing facts about each child's life are presented to all kindergarten students in Tehachapi's elementary schools. The children supply the information that is used to create personal books for each child. From left is Audrey Post, Lydia Chaney and Eric Horn. The Rotary Club of Tehachapi is a volunteer...

  • GHCSD Board discusses new organic waste pick-up, annual workshop

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 27, 2024

    At their April 18 meeting, the Golden Hills Community Services District opened their public meeting with a report from Joe Torres on the first three weeks of the new three barrel pick up system required by the State of California (SB1383). Torres reported that in the first three weeks he collected 51 tons of green and food waste. Torres said everything started on time. “Kudos to the people of Golden Hills,” said Torres. Joe King noted that the Golden Hills CC&Rs will need to be adjusted to acc...

  • TVHD seeks to replace retiring members

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 27, 2024

    At their April 16 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District recognized two of their long-term members who will be retiring May 1. Bill Steele has been on the TVHD board since 1992 and Dwayne Moats since 2012. Moats is moving out of state. The district will begin posting for the vacancies beginning May 1 and they plan to make a decision at the May 21 meeting. Moats position would be for a full four-year term while Steele's would be for the two remaining years of...

  • Meet Your New Neighbors

    Pat Doody, Welcome Hostess|Apr 27, 2024

    At the beginning of April, Cianne McGinnis arrived in Tehachapi from Hanford in Kings County where she had lived for the last three years. McGinnis was actually born in Hanford and lived there until she was five years old. When her father was hired to work in the oil fields, the family moved to Bakersfield where she grew up with her four older brothers. Not overly fond of Hanford, Cianne said she usually claims to be from Bakersfield. She has a nephew living in Tehachapi who suggested she move h...

  • National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, Autism Awareness Month

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 27, 2024

    The Tehachapi City Council meets on the first and third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. They are currently meeting at the Police Department Community Room, 220 W. C St....

  • Set designer, James Carhart, speaks to Rotarians

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 27, 2024

    The featured speaker at the April 18 Rotary meeting was local celebrity James Carhart, who is recognized locally as part of the BeeKay Theatre community. Carhart has designed sets for such plays as "Baskerville," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Young Frankenstein" and the "The Addams Family," as well as the current play, "Murder on the Orient Express." Born in New York, James spent much of his childhood traveling the world. His interest in the theater developed during his studies at...

  • Find 'A Taste of Tehachapi' at local events, downtown shop

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 20, 2024

    Anyone who has attended an event and shopped the vendor booths at Dorner Family Vineyard has come across the name "A Taste of Tehachapi," a business that provides a collection of products that can turn an ordinary meal into a delicious gourmet delight. All of these products are created by Diana Wade who, for the last three years, has created them in her licensed home kitchen in Tehachapi, turning a life-long hobby into a business. Diana moved to Tehachapi in 2010 with her husband, Doug, looking...

  • Council approves advertising policy

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 13, 2024

    At the April 1 City Council meeting, Assistant City Manager Corey Costelloe presented a new advertising policy for the city. Costelloe said the city was proposing a uniform advertising policy that would include promotions at the new Five-A-Side soccer field located in the new Valley Park, the public pickleball courts at the Tehachapi Police Department and the billboards at the airport along Highway 58. The new policies also included guidelines for expanded advertising offerings for events like...

  • Meet Your New Neighbors

    Pat Doody, Welcome Hostess|Apr 13, 2024

    In February, Air Force Sergeant Crystal Erskine was finally able to move into her new home in Tehachapi, as the owner had been preparing it for occupancy. Transferred from San Antonio, Texas, Erskine and her two children, 15-year-old Danielle and 11-year-old Josiah, lived on Edwards Air Force Base for a while until the house was ready for them. All of their belongings were put in storage during that time. Tagging along in the move was Coco and Cash, their two family dogs. Crystal was raised...

  • Train cams featured at Rotary

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Apr 13, 2024

    The guest speaker at the April 4 Rotary meeting held at Kelcy's Restaurant was Cheryl Butters, who, with her husband Mike, operates five live train-watching cameras that can be accessed by the public on their YouTube channel. Mike comes from a family of railfans in Manhattan, New York. He and Cheryl purchased their first camera and installed it at their home on January 4, 2018. The live stream is titled "Tehachapi Live Train Cams and Airbnb at West Cable" on YouTube. With the success of the firs...

  • Tehachapi Police officers promoted and hired, Employee of the Quarter

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Mar 30, 2024

    The Tehachapi City Council meets on the first and third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. They are currently meeting at the Police Department Community Room, 220 W. C St....

  • Reviving an icon

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Mar 30, 2024

    Over the last year, sign-maker JR Long has become somewhat of a hero in Tehachapi, beginning with the production of a 100-foot banner depicting the history of Tehachapi and more recently, the painting of the city logo on the iconic water tower in Railroad Park. Long has been a sign maker for 33 years and moved here from Lancaster following COVID, joining his four sons as a Tehachapi resident. His resume as a sign maker includes work for Legoland, Magic Mountain, Knotts Berry Farm, Northrop...

  • Hannah Chung joins City Council

    Pat Doody, staff writer|Mar 30, 2024

    The Tehachapi City Council welcomed their new District 5 representative, Hannah Chung, at the March 18 City Council meeting. After being sworn in, the council stood for a photo. From left are Jeanette Pauer, Mayor Pro-tem Joan Pogon-Cord, Chung and Phil Smith. Mayor Michael Davies was unable to attend the meeting. Chung is no stranger to city government as she was Finance Director for the City of Tehachapi for 20 years before retiring in January of 2022. It was Chung who began the legacy of...

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