Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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Apple Festival is coming up quick, and to get ready for the annual Friends of the Library Apple Festival Book Sale, the Friends of the Library are looking for some volunteers to help with moving and setting up books on Friday, Oct. 11 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. We also need volunteers to box donations, move books and tear down the sale on Sunday, Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Service hours are available.) Sign up to work a shift online at www.volunteersignup.org/TQD84 or scan the QR code. Or you...
The Friends of the Tehachapi Library will once again host a Community Book Sale during the Tehachapi Apple Festival on Saturday, Oct. 12 in the Library Courtyard. The Boutique section features vintage/rare books, specially priced books, book sets, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks and Great Courses materials. Donations from our community have been generous and our Bag Sale area will feature children's titles, hardback and paperback fiction and nonfiction for a mere $5 a bag. During the last two hours of the...
Few would elect to be in a major disaster, but if you've experienced one, there is a kinship with those who also shared the catastrophe that creates a lasting camaraderie. People sometimes ask, "What were you doing when Kennedy was shot?" The same question about Sept. 11, 2001. Many just call it 9/11. We all remember events such as those but as time passes, and the people who were there also pass, the event itself dims. Franklin Roosevelt said that the attack on Pearl Harbor is a date that...
A favorite project of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi is the annual Kindergarten Book Giveaway. At the end of the school year, Rotarians visit kindergarten classrooms throughout the community and present the students with a personalized book to take home and keep. This project has been sponsored by Rotary for many years, and the students often look forward to receiving their special book, just like their older brother or sister. A project like this takes a lot of people helping to make it happen....
The City of Tehachapi is proud to host the All-American 4th of July Festival, presented by Kaiser Permanente and WM on Thursday, July 4. Community members are invited to attend this family-friendly festival with vendors, food, games, live music and more. The main festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Philip Marx Central Park, as well as related activities happening all throughout the day and all around town. The day kicks off with the Ed Grimes Memorial Pancake Breakfast at 8 a.m....
June is Pride Month, a month-long focus on LGBTQ+ pride and history and celebrations. Some people wonder why a Pride Month is necessary today, but I think those people must not be paying attention. Sure, we've come a long way as far as equal rights and acceptance are concerned, but we have a long way yet to go. Just read any comments on social media when someone mentions something about being gay or trans – there is still a lot of hate and bigotry in the world, even right here in our little c...
The murals in Downtown Tehachapi are in need of repair. The most obvious is the 1915 Green Street Dance mural on Tehachapi Blvd., across from Railroad Park. Unfortunately, the binding agent on the mural is failing and the stucco is falling. As a result, it needs to be removed. This led to the creation of the Tehachapi Murals Project, which will evaluate each mural, and have them cleaned and resealed by the end of fall. Current members of the Tehachapi Murals Project are Charles White, Lyn...
Since 2004, Kohnen's has been a beloved staple of Tehachapi, offering delicious sandwiches on freshly baked bread and a fabulous selection of baked goods, from savory to sweet. Over the years, the bakery has remained a thriving business, adapting with the times while retaining its charm and quality. Prior to their relocation to Tehachapi 20 years ago, owners Thomas and Colleen Kohnen ran a successful business in Ojai for 14 years. Their journey into small business ownership began when Thomas, tr...
On March 4, the City of Tehachapi recognized five women who worked, lived or volunteered in the City of Tehachapi. The city received an overwhelming 70 nominations. Claudia Baker was one of the women chosen to be recognized as an Extraordinary Woman of Tehachapi. In 2001, Claudia Baker started The Loop newspaper with the goal of, "making something happy and creating something special that would bring positive and encouraging news to the community that I love." Claudia started her family-run and...
On Thursday, Feb. 22 from 4 to 6 p.m., the Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the Grand Opening of their newest chamber member, Markos D1 Salon located at 113 S. Green St. in Downtown Tehachapi. Markos D1 has been distributing his brand of makeup and cosmetics since 2009. He is a Latin American singer and celebrity stylist who has a team of extensively trained hair artists located all over the world. His main headquarters is located in Dubai and he currently has boutique salons in...
A new art show has recently opened at Lancaster's Museum of Art and History (MOAH), and it's a good one. I really enjoyed viewing the various artforms when I went down there a couple of weeks ago. Called "Formation" the show features a number of ceramic sculptures and wall displays and offers some very unique pieces. The show runs through April 14, so you have plenty of time to see it if you're so inclined. Nine different artists are featured, including Kiel Johnson, Kevin Kowalski, Galia Linn,...
The City of Lancaster has done a complete turnaround over the years in making their downtown a destination in itself. On Lancaster Boulevard, the area's main thoroughfare, there are no empty storefronts now; trees line the center of the street's pull-in parking spaces, murals decorate many buildings' walls and even store windows, and crosswalks are marked with colored patterns on the pavement. My day trippin' pal Leila and I were there a week ago to visit MOAH (the Museum of Art and History,...
Few would elect to be in a major disaster, but if you've experienced one, there is a kinship with those who also shared the catastrophe that creates a lasting camaraderie. People sometimes ask, "What were you doing when Kennedy was shot?" The same question about Sept. 11, 2001. Many just call it 9/11. We all remember events such as those but as time passes, and the people who were there also pass, the event itself dims. Franklin Roosevelt said that the attack on Pearl Harbor is a date that...
Where can you find a Swiss Chalet styled building, decorated with American Indian style images, built into a rocky butte in the middle of the desert? I'll tell you where: east of Lancaster, that's where. Driving down CA-14 in Lancaster, I've seen the signs for the Indian Museum and Saddleback Butte State Park many times, indicating an exit onto Avenue K. I've driven down K a few times, but I've never driven far enough until one recent Sunday when I was determined to check both state parks out....
Every time I go from Tehachapi to Laughlin, I pass through Barstow to get on Interstate 40, which parallels a section of the historic Route 66. Occasionally I get off the newer highway system and drive on the old pavement painted with the Highway 66 markings. The story of Route 66 – and driving on the famous old highway – has always fascinated me. I've been on all parts of that road many times in my lifetime on cross-country trips, and I love the feelings of nostalgia it evokes. Some his...
My friend Leila wanted to visit friends – Sandy and Baruska – in Ojai the other day, and I was delighted to be invited to join her. We took off about 9:30 in the morning and got to her friend's home, right in the center of Ojai, about 12:30. I know Ojai is a great destination for many reasons, but I also want to mention how much love the drive there. Once you get to the I-5 at Gorman you're in some pretty magnificent mountains... and, it should be mentioned, a whole lot of traffic. That doesn't...
There used to be a radio program whose host gave news as it was supposed to have happened. After telling the tale, he would then say, "...and now, for the rest of the story." He would then give some interesting facts that completed the tale. His name was Paul Harvey. I'm no Paul Harvey but it seems that when I hear someone telling a story about an experience of a local or long past happening, I often remember a little tidbit that was left out of the tale and I want to add it. Usually, I try to...
When Bud Lutge first started coming to Tehachapi in 1936, in many respects it was like another world from the Tehachapi of today: there were only about 1,000 people living in town and perhaps two hundred more in all the outlying areas combined, just a few roads were paved, and Bud's father Harry Lutge owned a 1,200-acre cattle ranch that stretched from Highline Road all the way up Water Canyon and encompassed the small lake and all the property now belonging to the Norbertine Associates of St....
While doing some research at Beale Library back in 1987, a mere 27 years ago, I could not resist copying some events listed in the old 1920 Tehachapi News. The temperatures occasionally skip a day. I searched ahead for February and March. Often people say, "We've never had weather like this in January before." Note the 79 degrees on Jan. 18, 1920. Maybe it's not global warming, after all? We could just say, "Yes, we have." Mostly though, I read of citizens' lives 94 years ago. Fortunately I...
Last summer I made a daytrip to Randsburg specifically with the goal of getting a chocolate malt at the General Store there. The town (and the store) has long been a favorite destination of mine as I've been visiting it semi-regularly for over 30 years. Something about the "living ghost town"-in addition to the yummy chocolate malts – just fascinates me. Over the years I've met several different owners of the General Store, but so much of it remained the same that it's always been like a step b...
There you are, entering your information into a form on a website when suddenly you have to check a box that reads, "I am not a robot," and then there's a visual thing you need to do to continue. So, what's that all about? Computer programs are great at doing repetitive tasks quickly, even robotically. Indeed, we have specialized computer programs called bots, which is short for robots, that are great at doing repetitive tasks quickly. These bots are so good that websites need a way to be positi...
At the end of the year, many of us received a beautiful letter detailing what a successful year our families have had. In this letter, successes, as well as opportunities for growth, are examined and discussed. For the members of the Tehachapi Arts Center, the City of Tehachapi is our family, therefore this letter and thank you is addressed to you, our beloved city and family. Dear Family, It's been a great and challenging year for the Tehachapi Arts Center. We have experienced so many changes...
My mother used to like the song, "Smiles." It described how smiles can make you happy and even make you blue. Also, smiles that drive away the tear drops as the sunshine drives away the dew. Then, there are smiles that have a tender meaning that the eyes of love alone can see. Then it says, and I quote: "But the smile that fills my heart with gladness is the smile that you give to me." Looking at The Loop newspaper I enjoyed reading Scott Ware's article about local folk smiling and speaking to...
Kernville is like a magnet for me – I love making day trips into the whole Lake Isabella area for a variety of reasons, and many of them are in Kernville – and once I get started it's hard to stop. The town of Kernville is full of history and present-day activities, including river rafting and kayaking, fishing, wading in the river, camping, hiking, and shopping. The small downtown area features a number of antiques shops and gift shops, and of course there are great places to eat and drink as...
Continued from our Sept. 17, 2022 issue. (I wrote an account of the 1932 flood over 30 years ago for the Tehachapi News. I was lucky to find someone who had been in Keene when the waters washed away people, houses and even buried a Santa Fe Engine, as well as washed a Southern Pacific engine off the tracks . I carefully kept notes after talking to Walter Hicks, who was in Keene during the whole thing. I have not added anything to enhance the story; only the facts told me at that time, by Walter...
