Meet Your New Neighbors

At the beginning of April, Cianne McGinnis arrived in Tehachapi from Hanford in Kings County where she had lived for the last three years. McGinnis was actually born in Hanford and lived there until she was five years old. When her father was hired to work in the oil fields, the family moved to Bakersfield where she grew up with her four older brothers. Not overly fond of Hanford, Cianne said she usually claims to be from Bakersfield. She has a nephew living in Tehachapi who suggested she move here and helped her find her new home.

Cianne has had a myriad of careers. Over the years she worked for pistachio grower Paramount Farming and was an executive assistant to doctors at HealthSouth Rehabilitation and Memorial Hospital. When computers came along, she learned about programming and then taught computer software. She wrote the training manual for Mustang Software. She loves art and learned photography from a photographer from Santa Barbara. That eventually led to a four year job with the Bakersfield Californian where she had the opportunity to work with Bob Eiger. She taught online for a Christian girls' school for seven years. She even started a chapter of the Red Hat Society.

However, the love of her life is dancing. She says this is when her playful inner 8-year-old comes out. She has been teaching dancing part time for the last 40 years. She teaches 18 different dances, among them are all ballroom dances and swing. She added country after the movie "Urban Cowboy" came out. She has taught dancing at Bakersfield College and in bars, although she does not drink. Cianne said, at one time, she went dancing three nights a week for almost seven years.

In her "down-time," she likes to garden and read but she is very much looking forward to finding a place to go dancing in Tehachapi.

Welcome to Tehachapi Cianne. We hope you can find a place to dance or teach dancing here.

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.