Michael and Michelle Wedekind arrived from Okinawa, Japan in August just in time for Michael to begin his job as a procurement specialist at Edwards Air Force Base. They had lived in Okinawa for about five years while he was working for the Department of Defense. By the end of August, their furniture still had not arrived and they were sleeping on a huge air mattress in the middle of the living room floor with no idea when to expect their belongings. Michelle said that they really hated to leave Okinawa, an assignment they both loved.

The Wedekinds are not new to California. Michelle was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Torrance. She has two brothers in Los Angeles and a brother and sister in Las Vegas. Michael was born near Melbourne, Fla. His dad worked for the government. His family moved to California when he was about 3 years old. He has an older brother and a twin brother who lives in Los Angeles. Both Michael and Michelle were raised in the LDS church. As young adults they each completed a foreign mission assignment. Michael did his mission work in Manchester, England and Michelle completed hers in Taiwan.

They were married in the beautiful Mormon Temple on Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles and then moved to Utah where Michael got his MBA from Brigham Young University (BYU). His undergraduate degree was in finance from Long Beach State.

Michelle and Michael have five kids. Matt (25) is their oldest, lives in Oregon and is a wilderness firefighter. Meadow (23) will be graduating this year from BYU. Ben (20) is on a mission to Manila. Max (17) is attending Tehachapi High School and Marshall (9) is currently being home schooled. Michelle said she is working on her teaching credential. In the past she has worked as a classroom aid and in Okinawa she held an English summer camp for Japanese students.

Fortunately both Michael and Michelle like to travel. Michael's hobbies include the sciences especially astronomy. Michelle's interests center around genealogy and geocaching (using a GPS to find things). She also likes to read and practice Yoga.

To all of the Wedekind family, a great big "Welcome to Tehachapi."

Mark Rapala and Bouen Maselowitch settled into their new home in Bear Valley at the end of July when Mark began his new assignment at Edwards Air Force Base. A Second Lieutenant, Mark was transferred from Pensacola, Fla. and is a new security forces commander at Edwards.

Mark is originally from Poughkeepsie, N.Y. and has two older brothers. He has been in the Air Force for nine years and a commissioned officer for one. Before joining the Air Force, he was part of the New York National Guard. Bouen said that he is training to be a police officer one day.

Bouen grew up on Okaloosa Island, a small island near Pensacola. She said that her family is Powhatan Indian, a tribe best remembered for welcoming Capt. John Smith to the New World in 1607. The tale of the chief's daughter Pocahontas is a well-known part of our American history. Bouen said that her family were also military. They were Army, Navy and Marine; everything except Air Force she laughs.

Until their move to the West Coast, Bouen was working on a healthcare degree. She said that she plans to eventually focus on healthcare business. In the meantime, she has a new house to organize and a new community to get used to. After having spent all of her life on an island in the south, she now has to adjust to mountains, four seasons and snow.

Welcome to Tehachapi Bouen and Mark.

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.

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.