After spending four years in Aviano, Italy, Vince and Janine Laluz and their 16 year old daughter, Dora, have settled into Bear Valley. Vince is now assigned to Edwards Air Force Base. His field is precision measurements and he told me that he deals with mathematical conversions with increments as small as “parts per million”. “At that level,” he says, “accuracy is extremely important.”

Vince has been in the Air Force for 18 years and admitted that he and Janine had tried to avoid Edwards for many years. However, now that he is thinking towards retirement and Edwards employs approximately 80% civilian contractors, it has much more appeal.

The couple originally came from the San Diego area where they were high school sweethearts. Vince said that his grandfather was really into trains and knew all about the World Famous Tehachapi Loop. His father came from Boston and went to Harvard Medical School. He is now a doctor at Kaiser in San Diego. Vince is the oldest of seven children. All but the last two are boys. He said that his mother was determined to keep going until they finally got a girl. The closest thing that Vince has to a hobby is flying remote controlled helicopters.

Janine has always had an interest in interior design and architecture which she studied while they were living in Las Vegas. Although she has not been in the new house very long, her design sense is evident. She knits, quilts, sews and has a kiln for her pottery. She said that after living in so many different places, she has developed many ways to keep busy. At Edwards, Janine is in charge of all arts and crafts taught on base. She has done something similar at almost every base where Vince has been stationed.

Dora is an artist and a musician. She has played the oboe since the fifth grade. She said that she likes that she has had the opportunity to grow up all over the world. Before the last four years in Italy, the family spent four years in Japan. Mochi, the family Maltese dog was born there and has been with them ever since. I was told that, in Japan, dogs are specifically bred for their personality so Mochi is a very special dog. The family cat, Miku, is new to the family and was recently rescued from the Bakersfield shelter.

To all of the Laluz household, “Welcome to Tehachapi”!

Frank and Carrie Keeler had been in Camarillo for three-and-a-half years and were again looking for an affordable place to live in more natural surroundings and with less traffic. Although they were both raised in California, they had spent eighteen years in Monument, Colorado. They raised their children there and still own a home there. On first returning to California, they said that they tried Nipomo before finally settling into Camarillo. Carrie said that there are things about Tehachapi that remind her of Colorado.

Although Carrie was born in Fresno, her family eventually moved south and she finished high school in the Simi Valley. She has four brothers. Three of them still live in California and one is in Roseburg, Oregon, as is her mother. For many years, Carrie has been a caregiver for the elderly and expects to resume her work at some point. In the meantime, she is happy gardening and pursuing the art she loves.

Frank’s parents lived in Malibu, California, when he was born; however, he has lived all over California. His brother now lives in Santa Cruz and his sister in Ojai. He and Carrie met at church in Westlake. He is self-employed in the field of online communications, a job that enables him to do much of his work from home. He is a pilot and at one time owned a Cessna 210 which he later sold. He still loves flying and does so whenever he can.

Frank and Carrie have two grown children. Their son is in the military and their daughter is completing her master’s degree at Fuller in Pasadena, so for now these empty-nesters have to be content with the company of Mattie, the family’s lovable Lab.

A great big “Welcome” to Frank and Carrie.

If you have moved to the Greater Tehachapi Area within the last six months and would like to know more about your new community, call 661-822-8188. We will be happy to make an appointment for a hostess to come by and give you lots of helpful information, some valuable coupons, gifts and much more. Many families and individuals who come to the area are pleasantly surprised with the amount of knowledge they gather about their new home. Publishing your welcome article is completely voluntary and is not a requirement of being welcomed.