After having spent 30 years living and working in Yorba Linda, Laura Asbill knew that she wanted a change of scenery away from Southern California. She tried Prescott, Ariz. but she was not happy with that choice. Her business partner owned a rental house in Bear Valley Springs and he suggested that she take a look at it. They ended up trading houses; he bought hers and she bought his. For Laura it was downsizing but she loved it. However, since arriving in Tehachapi last summer, she has been evacuated three times and snowed in three times; what a strange welcome.

Laura has been involved in the financial services industry all her working life. She was born in Detroit, Mich. where her family lived for five years before moving to Indianapolis for another six years. Her dad went to work for Horace Mann Educators Insurance in 1966 and the family moved to Orange County, California. Her brother still lives in Anaheim and recently retired from Disneyland after working there for 50 years. Laura said that everyone in her family worked for Disneyland at one time except for her. Even her son, Josh, who now lives in Wildomar, Calif. worked there as a kid.

Laura joined her father at Gold Star Financial Group in 1988, going on to become a money manager at Horter Investment Management. She eventually moved back home to take care of her mother. Now here in Tehachapi she will be producing financial planning seminars locally this spring and summer. Watch The Loop for the dates of Laura’s upcoming seminars.

Laura said that her life has always revolved around her dogs. She has shown them in agility competitions for many years and now plans to set up some of her three acres for agility training. She won AKC awards with her Golden Retrievers Belle and Wade. She said that she sadly has lost Belle but Wade is still her lead dog. Now she also has a Border Collie named Dani who seems to have more aptitude for herding than agility, a rescue German Shepherd named Hans and a 17 year old Schnoodle named Gigi. Laura added that every year she takes her canine kids to dog camp at Lake Tahoe.

Welcome to Tehachapi, Laura and company.

Tracie and Greg Wilson said that they fell in love with Tehachapi when they visited a few times from their home in Lancaster. Loving the naturalness and change of seasons, they thought it would be a great community to retire in when that time came. In January they bought a piece of land in Stallion Spring and began construction on the home of their dreams. Since the new house wouldn’t be ready until the end of this year, they decided to make the move anyway and rented a home nearby.

Greg is the City Inspector for Lancaster, a job he has held for 12 years. Tracie is an RN who was working in Palmdale as an ER nurse. Soon after they moved to Tehachapi, Tracie saw an ad for a position here; she applied, and is now employed by Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley at our local hospital.

Tracie was born and raised in Mobile, Ala. She has a sister there and her 15 year old son, Brady, is also there. She has been a nurse for 20 years and is looking forward, along with everyone else in Tehachapi, to the opening of our new hospital.

Greg was raised in Lancaster. His parents have lived there since 1959. He graduated from Quartz Hill High School in 1987 and became a Seabee in the US Navy. He said that he is really an equipment operator by profession. He has three grown sons and a daughter. Scott, his oldest is in the Navy and due to be discharged this month. Greg’s daughter, Carissa is an Air Traffic Controller in San Antonio, Texas; his son Joel is a bush pilot and son Clay was also in the Navy. Although the grown kids come to visit, the only “kids” that live at home now are their three dogs; a Great Dane named Lady, a Chihuahua/Jack Russell named Loki, and Moses, the blind terrier they love to tease.

Both Greg and Tracie love the outdoors and enjoy camping, hiking and jogging. Greg likes to hunt and is great with a bow and arrow. Tracie had to admit that she likes to shop. (I guess that could also count as an outdoor activity.)

Welcome to Tehachapi, Greg and Tracie. Enjoy your new mountain home.

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.