Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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One of the most widespread bird species living in the Tehachapi Mountains is not native, nor did these birds fly in with their own wings like starlings and house sparrows. No, these familiar fowl arrived in wagons with some of the earliest homesteaders and are pioneers themselves. These early arrivals are known to ornithologists as Gallus gallus domesticus: chickens. The first chickens are believed to have been brought to the Tehachapi area in the late 1850s and early 1860s. The grocery store...
After World War II ended, I separated from the Marine Corp between 1946 and 1948, when I re-enlisted. I spent some of the months in between in Tehachapi, where I met my future wife, Pat Davis, and many young people my own age. One such person was a tall, dark-haired, fun-loving young man named Bobby Lee Smith. He was known for his good nature and tall tales; he could really spin a yarn. One day Bobby Lee told me of a coming rodeo in Kernville and asked if I'd like to go up there and do some...
The two brothers, Coyote and Wolf, went to dance with the bears at Walker Basin. They had a picnic down there and a big dance. Everyone danced, and they danced all night. Coyote's tail was "sparking like a battery" at the top. His brother said, "What's the matter with you?" He was so excited, sparks were coming off his tail. Coyote said nothing and kept dancing. An old lady was gathering wood all night for the fire. She lost her tobacco. She said "pu-zi-ni-kaax." No one could understand her....
Mark Twain is reputed to have said, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Glancing back over my shoulder at the past year, I think that the "dry spell" we have experienced was one for the records. Still, we never know what's just around the corner. I would like you to read a story that my old classmate and friend, Dick Johnson, wrote in 2008 about experiencing the Tehachapi weather in the fall of 1945. – Pat Gracey The Flood of 1945 by Dick Johnson It was S...
On December 4, 2020, Mojave Air & Spaceport Director Jim Balentine presided over the swearing-in ceremony for three new directors who were elected in the November election. Robert "Bob" Morgan; Charles "Chuck" Coleman and Diane Barney were the three top vote receivers. All three are General Aviation, Commercial rated pilots. Morgan is an aerospace engineer and manager with 30 years of experience in the aerospace industry. His career has involved the design and management of over 33 cutting-edge...
What is Disabled Widow's Benefits? This is a disability program where the claimant can apply for benefits based on the deceased spouse's earnings record. You must be 50 years or older and the onset of your disability must be within seven years of your spouse's death. What is Divorced Spouse's Benefits? A claimant can apply for benefits based on his or her divorced spouse's earnings record. If you were married to your ex-spouse for 10 years, are, at least, 62 years old and are currently...
What does being plant based have to do with being a plumber? John Nelson, owner of John the Plumber, concedes that being plant-based really doesn't impact his work as a plumber or his customers, at least not directly. "Do I feel better since going plant-based? Yes. Do my knees not hurt so much? Yep. Do I rarely get sick and miss work as a result? Yes, to that as well. But even when I hurt I went to work and did great work for my customers," he said. So how does being a plant-based plumber help...
Tehachapi Mountain Quilters is looking for new members. During this year of various stages of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have been looking for a new creative way to use their time at home and the art of quilting is a perfect outlet for young adults, retirees and parents who are homeschooling their children. Tehachapi Mountain Quilters is a teaching guild founded in 1997 under state guidelines and they always begin their meetings with that motto. Their members are always willing...
Sometimes people are sad when Valentine’s Day comes around. Having no special sweetheart of their own, they don’t expect flowers or candy or a special gesture given from the heart. Don’t get me wrong. It is lovely to celebrate romantic love and have a special day set aside for cards and flowers and a delicious dinner out. It just seems that this year people from all over could use their own special gesture, to be told they are loved and appreciated, and not left out of the festivities. I mysel...
If you happened to dive into my previous article, we were discussing new housing construction. With the current lack of inventory in the housing market, which the National Association of Realtors (NAR) projects will continue well into 2021, we will see an approximate three percent appreciation in housing values in 2021. Active listings are down nationwide over 38 percent adding to a continued shortage of homes to meet demand. Anyone who has been though Economics 101 would understand the supply...
Foreign Bank Account Traps – If you have any bank account, retirement account, investment account and/or business ownership interest with a value of $10,000 or more in a foreign country, you must advise us since special reporting rules now apply. Failure to disclose this on your tax return could result in severe penalties, as well as additional fees in representing you in any dispute with the Internal Revenue Service. The United States has negotiated agreements with foreign countries to r...
The Kern County Superintendent of Schools will host a Kern County Virtual Education Fair on Saturday, February 13 from 9 a.m. to noon. Individuals who are fully credentialed, intern-eligible and holders of bachelor’s degrees or higher are invited to attend. Pre-registration is required and will be open until February 12 at 5 p.m. Visit www.kern.org to register. The event is Kern County’s largest gathering of school district recruiters in one location. It is an excellent opportunity for those who are credentialed, intern eligible or int...
On January 25, Assemblyman Vince Fong (R-Kern County) released the following statement regarding Governor Newsom's sudden lift of California's stay-at-home orders: "The Governor has not been transparent with the data he is using to make shutdown decisions that have significantly upended the lives of so many people. We are seeing glaring inconsistencies about what methodology he is using and he continues to move the goal post in a manner that defies logic. Californians are fed up with being kept...
If you've been investing for many years and you've owned bonds, you've seen some pretty big changes on your financial statements. In 2000, the average yield on a 10-year U.S. Treasury security was about six percent; in 2010, it had dropped to slightly over three percent, and for most of 2020, it was less than one percent. That's an enormous difference, and it may lead you to this question: With yields so low on bonds, why should you even consider them? Of course, while the 10-year Treasury note...
I wanted to give everyone an update from the Tehachapi Cancer Foundation. To say 2020 was a rough year is an understatement with businesses having to shut down or scale back, high unemployment and being on a “stay at home” order. We humans are very resilient and adjust as needed. It is not an easy adjustment but we are survivors. Nonprofits were hit hard also. With no in-person fundraisers allowed, it affected nonprofits deeply. The annual “Screw Cancer” John Gardner memorial fundraiser had to...
The COVID-19 mass vaccination site at the Kern County Fairgrounds will open to the public on Wednesday, January 27. This follows last week’s soft opening and will be an appointment-only, walk-up vaccination site. “We are committed to bringing COVID-19 vaccines to the public as quickly and safely as possible,” said Matt Constantine, director of Kern County Public Health. “Through this collaborative effort, we hope it is more convenient for Kern County residents to get vaccinated against this hi...
For almost a year now, things have been really unusual for our community. Many people have been home more and at work less. I think maybe our pets have been thrilled to have us home. But when they do accidentally get out and go roaming, there really aren't the same authorities out there to pick them up and get them to safety. Due to the pandemic, most of the animal shelters are either closed or on limited working hours, and it has become difficult to go through the steps we used to take to try...
The California Department of Public Health ended the Regional Stay at Home Order on January 26. This action allows all counties statewide to return to the rules and framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy and color-coded tiers that indicate which activities and businesses are open based on local case rates and test positivity. Kern County is now in the strictest, or purple tier. Services and activities, such as outdoor dining and personal services, may resume immediately with required...
The Tehachapi Area Association of REALTORS® is sponsoring an adult coat (new or gently used), blanket (new or gently used) and new sock drive for our local Salvation Army. Everything that is donated to our local Salvation Army is kept here, in Tehachapi - locally donated and locally distributed. TAAR will be accepting donations now through the end of March. Please drop all items off between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday at Country Real Estate. Country Real Estate is located at 107 E....
4 was a difficult year for many. I know I do not need to elaborate, I am sure we have all had struggles. There is one great thing that came out of 2020 though, and that is how many pets were adopted! Pet owning households grew by almost four percent last year. That may not sound like much but that equates to more than 71 million pets having their forever homes by the end of last year. Dogs tend to be the big focus when considering adopting, but cats currently reside in over 30 million homes....
The Antelope Valley Economic Development and Growth Enterprise (AV EDGE) will host the virtual Business Outlook Conference – Winter Forum 2021 Style on February 24. This long-standing annual business conference was formerly hosted by the Antelope Valley Board of Trade. However, in 2020, two iconic regional business development enterprises, the Antelope Valley Board of Trade and the Greater Antelope Valley Economic Alliance merged into a single business entity now known as the AV EDGE. Due to t...
The new Tehachapi Mountains AVA was granted to our region because of the unique character of our area. Tehachapi grape growers are growing grapes at an altitude higher than other wine regions in the state. At 4,000 feet above sea level, we far exceed the others. The Napa region is only 20 feet, Sonoma is at 85 feet and Paso Robles is at 732 feet. Wine grapes are grown in Argentina at an astounding 9,800 feet. What difference does it make, you ask? Mountain grown grapes are grown under very...
On January 26, the Kern County Board of Supervisors announced the appointment of Brynn Carrigan as the next director of Kern County Public Health. This appointment follows Director Matt Constantine's announcement of his intent to retire from his position in March 2021. Carrigan has been the assistant director of Kern County Public Health since 2012. Among her diverse responsibilities in managing departmental programs and services, she has served as Incident Commander for Public Health's...
Tehachapi Mayor Phil Smith presented former Mayor Susan Wiggins with a Certificate of Recognition at the January 19 virtual City Council meeting. Remarking about her professionalism, Smith thanked her for her, "leadership and dedication as Mayor of the City of Tehachapi." Wiggins stepped in as mayor following the passing of former Mayor Ed Grimes. "It has been my pleasure and honor to be mayor of this fine city,' said Wiggins. Per the State of California Executive Order N-29-20, this meeting...
