It was the end of August when Dorian and Tina Otero moved into their Tehachapi home from Porter Ranch in the San Fernando Valley. Their new home is the perfect place for their entire family, including daughter Cassidy, son Tyler, and Dorian's mother Nancy. The house also includes space for Dorian, who is a digital artist and works from home, to operate his graphics business.

Tina spends much of her time as educator for 16-year-old Cassidy, who is a special needs student. Tyler is 20 and studies Kook Sul Won Karate in the San Fernando Valley. His grandmother, Nancy, started taking him to classes in the Valley years ago when he started to learn the technique. It was not long before Nancy started taking classes as well. Today both Tyler and Nancy are competition black belts and are both proficient in the technique of fighting with swords.

Both Dorian and Tina were raised by single moms. Dorian was born in New York City but grew up in the Monroe-Woodbury area of Central Valley, New York. He was always interested in visual communication and studied the subject at the University of Miami. He was one of the beta-testers for the program Photoshop when the program was first released. He now teaches it along with video graphics, visual effects and 3D animation from his new home studio.

Dorian is a 3D animation generalist and it is through his projects that he has become known for his post-production projects including editing, color correction and his creation of all types of motion graphics. With the new studio in his home in Tehachapi, Dorian said he would like to experiment with the development of a TV show, perhaps as a hobby. For more information on Dorian and his work, check out his website at http://www.doriandigitalartist.com.

We are delighted Dorian, Tina and family have come to Tehachapi. A big Tehachapi welcome to all of you!

If you have moved to Tehachapi within the last six months, Hilltop Welcoming Service has a bag of information about the Greater Tehachapi area, including local 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.