Matthew and Jacqueline Dolan moved into their new home in Bear Valley on Jan. 1. They purchased the house completely furnished. However, it was more than furnished; it included everything the prior owner possessed including books, family photos, mementos, linens and a kitchen complete with all utensils. In a bookcase, Jackie found a complete set of plans for the house. There were two large telescopes in the house – one in the living room and one in the bedroom. The owner of the house had passed away and his family decided to sell it as-is rather than dealing with cleaning it out. Jackie said it will be months before they can go through everything. The prior owner's personal items are being carefully packed away in containers for now.

It had been Matthew's dream to be located on top of the mountain where he could see the patchwork of fields in the Central Valley; like a view from an airplane he said. He had actually discovered the area several years before and had even brought Jackie there once on a date. She shared his enthusiasm for the location. Matt said he had two goals before buying a house; get his Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification and get married. He accomplished both.

Matt's father was a Marine and as a result his family moved around a lot. Matt said he and his little sister lived and went to school on bases until he was around 13. They were in "culture shock" when they first went to public school off-base. He said he finds the mountains comforting and safe and they remind him of the time living on the bases.

The couple met in Orange County. Matt was working on his BCBA at California State University Dominguez Hills and Jackie was completing her Master's Degree in Costa Mesa. They moved to Palmdale where Matt was a CBCA and Jackie was employed as an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) supervisor. They planned a wedding on two and a half acres in the desert that belonged to Matt. For their wedding, they built an old west town. Jackie said that she learned to use power tools while building the saloon facade. They were married in the movie-set town with mariachis and dancing – a fiesta.

They moved into a "tiny house" along with their two dogs, Sheruff a former FBI Belgian Mallinois and a little Maltese named Cielo. When they found that the house on the mountain was for sale, they jumped on it. It had been on the market just 14 days. Matt said that they moved into the house with just their clothes and the dogs and are thrilled to be embarking on the adventure. They are now actively campaigning for their family and friends to join them in Tehachapi.

In addition to the new house project, Matt is a body builder, rides motorcycles and builds furniture. Jackie likes to hike and write poetry. She now works from home and is starting to work on her BCBA. Matt said he would like to open an office in Tehachapi.

Welcome to Tehachapi Jackie and Matt. Your new home is truly an adventure.

Natisha and David Bernal and their children moved to Lancaster when David was hired as a supervisor at the Golden Queen Mine in Mojave. They quickly learned that was not where they wanted to live. Although raised in Los Angeles, Natisha had always wanted a place in the country. They discovered Tehachapi and Natisha says it is everything she had always wanted in a place to live - a small town and living at a slower pace.

David has always worked in mining and the family had lived in Las Vegas, Nev. for four years prior to his move to the Golden Queen. He had worked for a mining company extracting rare earth minerals until the company went out of business.

Both David and Natisha were born in the Los Angeles area and had similar backgrounds, moving around a lot. Both are the oldest of six siblings and both were living in Rialto when they met. It was when Natisha graduated from high school. Her father knew David and introduced them. At first she was not at all interested, but that changed in time. Natisha went to school in Rancho Cucamonga to become a medical assistant. She said she was nine months pregnant at her graduation. They now have three children, Emily (11), Alison (9) and David (6).

Their Tehachapi home is their first purchase and Natisha hopes it will be their only home. She wanted to live close to family and David wanted to live away from family. Tehachapi was perfect as her parents live near Hesperia and his parents live in Las Vegas. Natisha said that someday she is supposed to inherit property in Northern California near Mendocino, but it is too far away from her family. They also love fishing, so all the nearby lakes are another area attraction.

Welcome Natisha , David and family. May your Tehachapi home be the home of your dreams.

If you have moved to Tehachapi within the last six months, Hilltop Welcoming Service has a bag of information about the Greater Tehachapi area, its activities, events, government and facilities. There are always a few coupons and gifts, as well. It is a great way to learn about your new community. Being part of this column is strictly optional. If you would like a visit from the Welcome Hostess contact our office at (661) 822-8188.