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Shelley and Doug Halverson moved into their new Tehachapi home in April. Now retired, they moved from Madera to be closer to their grown son who lives in Bakersfield. As they did not really want to live in Bakersfield, the weather and natural surroundings in Tehachapi was a real attraction while still being close. Currently living with them is Dominic, a 7-year-old foster child who has been with them since December. He will eventually be returning to Madera.

Until his retirement, Doug was a maintenance supervisor for the Clovis Unified School District and Shelley spent 20 years as a medical assistant for a plastic surgeon in Fresno. Their daughter Heidi lives in Northern California and son Andrew lives in Bakersfield. They have an adopted son, Eric, who is in the Navy. In addition to raising their own family, this remarkable couple has fostered over 100 kids since the year 2000. Shelley said they often have siblings and once had a family of four for a year and a family of three for a year. Their daughter Heidi also fosters.

Both Doug and Shelley came from good sized families. Shelley was born in Pomona, California in the same hospital where her father was born. She had three sisters and a brother. Doug was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and had two brothers and a sister. His family moved to California when Doug was 8 and settled in Montclair. When Doug was in high school, he worked in a grocery store. Shelley's mom met Doug when he worked there and decided Shelley should meet him. "I guess you could say that my mom picked my husband," said Shelley. Her mother still lives in Southern California.

When they finally decided they no longer wanted to raise their children in Los Angeles, the family moved to Northern California. The first place they lived was Modesto and the last was Madera. Their family always liked the outdoors and Doug and Shelley look forward to sharing it with their eight grandchildren.

A big Tehachapi welcome to Doug and Shelley! We are delighted you moved to our community.

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.