Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 117
Another marathon has come and gone. Another? I say that with as much disbelief as the next guy. A year ago I was one and done, now my recent running of the LA Marathon was my third full marathon completion. Unreal. But you know plenty about my story by now. I have a lot of others to share about from this year's LA Marathon. First, congrats to all seven Tehachapi runners that completed the full marathon this year, including Tehachapi High School Baseball coach Guy Dees who apparently, I...
The Tehachapi Warriors lost another major community supporter a few weeks ago with the passing of longtime Warrior physical therapist Derek Thompson. Known by the players he treated as "Dr. Death," Derek's no-frills approach to therapy and treatment was aimed at one thing, putting kids back into competition as soon and as strong as possible. While his antics were well-known on the mountain, I can say given my interactions with athletic trainers all over Kern County, his impact on the profession...
Recently the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce added the category of "Nonprofit of the Year" to their annual awards recognitions. It joins the existing categories, "Large and Small Business of the Year" and "Citizen of the Year." It was announced a few weeks ago that the Tehachapi Warriors Boosters Club will be the recipient of the inaugural nonprofit recognition due to our fundraising impact and philanthropy for Tehachapi High School athletics over the last few years. Serving as President...
I like to believe that I am not a sucker, but I am easily persuaded to assist a friend in need or do something that benefits the kids. Combine the two and have it benefit kids in athletics and I am unable to say no. Yes, it is a curse and yes, my wife is constantly annoyed at my lack of ability to say no. But a couple of times this season I have been asked by my friend and fellow Warriors press junkie Tom Shea to fill in for him as public address announcer for Warrior basketball so he could trav...
I think I can safely say, personally, 2022 was a year unlike any other. I know most of us following 2020 would rather not see those words again but harkening back to my days behind a microphone when a player would have one of those standout games it was second nature to say, "have a day kid." I guess one could say I "had a year" in 2022. There are plenty of highlights to share personally and professionally, but the journey most of you have been on with me has been my running transformation, and...
Earlier this year USC and UCLA both announced their intentions to move from the Pac-12 Conference to the Big 10, a move driven by more television revenue for their institutions, a better placement on the national stage and potentially more NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money for their student-athletes. While USC is a private school and can do whatever they would like, there has been some opposition to UCLA's move, since they are a public University of California school operating within the...
The Tehachapi Warriors football season ended a couple of weeks ago, capping a remarkable campaign with a 10-2 record and a second-round appearance in the CIF Central Section Division III playoffs. The season included the Warriors winning the South Yosemite Mountain League Championship in the first season of the new league's existence. Tehachapi posted a perfect 4-0 mark during that league campaign bringing home the program's 31st league championship and the first outright title since 2011. The...
Honestly I am at a loss for words. Rare for me right? I just finished the New York City Marathon and the emotions and gratitude are tough to put into words. Easier from a metrics standpoint to mention that I ran 26.2 miles from Staten Island to Central Park and through all five New York Burroughs. An incredibly difficult feat. This one was special, a reward of sorts for all the funds raised for Team World Vision during my Los Angeles Marathon quest earlier this year. With over $3,000 raised I...
Southeastern Kern County Retail Submarket Report As Tehachapi enters the final quarter of 2022, some recent data sheds light on the availability of retail properties both in the City of Tehachapi and southeastern Kern County. Recent reports from CoStar, the City's commercial real estate service, shows the area with a 3.3% vacancy rate amongst commercial retail properties in this submarket, which includes the City of Tehachapi, the Greater Tehachapi Area, Mojave, Rosamond, Arvin and a portion of...
Access to new CoStar Software Highlights major commercial investments in the City of Tehachapi Commercial real estate investment continues in the City of Tehachapi as investors have spent millions in the last few months on some marquee properties in transactions with long-term stable tenants. As part of a new initiative, the City of Tehachapi has partnered with CoStar to access real-time commercial real estate data to assist in economic development efforts. This software is a powerful tool that...
While I have covered a myriad of sports in my time and spent plenty of hours behind microphones, notepads, press boxes and sidelines, the genre that I made my first real splash in was motorsports. As a young writer I was assigned plenty of local short track NASCAR, dirt track and drag racing events as I cut my teeth in the sport. I went on to spend time as a track announcer at the former Mesa Marin Raceway, hosted a local racing radio show, television show and an international NASCAR/independent...
I hope by now you all understand when it comes to athletics my feeling is that while the pros are entertaining and add value to society, the true value of competition is found in our kids. Athletics lays the foundation and teaches hard life lessons that more often than not are no longer taught in the classroom or life in general. My passion for sports centers on the youth, and helping them with that same foundation that I benefitted from; the foundation that helped launch a successful career. I...
Special events in Tehachapi draw crowds and economic impact The economic impact of special events in the City of Tehachapi is an important economic driver for both locals and tourists alike. There is the benefit of these events, whether it is hotel stays for larger events or additional revenue for small and large businesses while people visit Tehachapi and Downtown, specifically. There is also the impact brought on by the event itself, this includes the time by City Public Works, police and admi...
A well-prepared and well-performing Tehachapi Warriors football team was let down last week in their home opener against Highland of Bakersfield. Not let down in terms of score, the revamped Warriors under second-year head Coach Kris Krempien dominated the visiting Scots 42-7, the problem is they did it in the middle of the afternoon. Instead of historic Coy Burnett Stadium providing a home field advantage, the aging relic almost dealt its own Warriors a fatal blow when delayed-maintenance of...
I believe it is time to scrap the big leagues for a better version of baseball on television. As the Little League World Series winds down, we have been entertained for weeks with regional and championship match ups that are doing nothing short of reminding us how the game of baseball should be played. I am talking about the constant examples of sportsmanship, the passion, the great plays and the lesson we are all receiving in humility and fun. It has me asking myself and the television world,...
While the culture of year-round travel sports keeps most of us on our toes these days, in my world the official start of the sports season is a few weeks away as football kicks off at various levels. With that kickoff, which for many will include a variety of sports over the next nine to 12 months for their kids, comes undue pressure from adults to punch their ticket to the next level. Parents, let me save you a lot of heartache, your child is not receiving a full-ride scholarship. There, I...
I received a photo the other day from a friend of mine who was cleaning out a few old boxes and came across a relic from our younger days. It was a photo of a few of us that were part of my favorite baseball team I ever had the pleasure of playing on. Long before the days of "elite" and "travel ball" teams was the institution that was Little League, but this was no ordinary Little League team. This was a specific league created for us older kids looking for a way to continue the game several...
It has been like a recurring theme of unfortunate events over the last year or so, too many times I have had to say goodbye to those who came before me. Those who helped blaze a trail in this community and lay the foundation for local athletics. Most recently, it was the news of the passing of Mr. Richard Dieterle, I use the "Mr." because for five years of my junior high and high school education he was "Mr. D." First serving as my junior high principal at Jacobsen in the seventh grade before he...
The Tehachapi Warriors athletics program has released the 2022 football schedule, and for the second straight season, we are hoping for a sense of normalcy on the gridiron. Hopefully, that is the case and the disruptions of last season are behind us and our team can focus on two things, school and football. This season's schedule looks a little different, much of that reason is tied to the new league for the Warriors who leave the South Yosemite League for what is being dubbed the "Mountain...
The Tehachapi Warrior Booster Club and the Tehachapi Warriors Baseball program recently completed a facility upgrade for the varsity baseball field consisting of over 500 feet of sublimated outfield windscreens to enhance the look of the stadium and enhance player safety. The purchase, totaling over $8,000 was made by the Booster Club, a nonprofit who raises funds through memberships and corporate sponsorships to help support the athletic teams at Tehachapi High School. Head baseball coach Guy...
As mentioned previously, it was impossible to recount my entire Los Angeles Marathon experience in one edition of this column, so apologies in advance for this part two. But, accomplishing something that physically and mentally challenging does not come without a lot of support. Naturally, there were those on the home front, my "training camp" staff led by my wife Melissa, keeping things in order as I disappeared for hours at a time to finish the training schedule. She will be vital again when...
I cannot properly recount my experience finishing the 2022 Los Angeles Marathon in one edition of Xs and Arrows. Be advised that the tale of struggle and triumph will wield itself through the remainder of my tenure. There is just that much to break down and discuss with those of you that shared this journey, dating back to last September. First and foremost, I finished this event and did so while running the entire 26.2 miles from Dodger Stadium to Century City without walking a single step....
The last two years have been a troublesome ride for humanity. While the direct impact of the pandemic was felt by many, the indirect impacts and disruptions were experienced by all. This includes deaths, whether they were because of the illness gripping the media's attention or not, the weight of COVID and its impact to everyday life hurt so many. I lost a childhood friend back in December and celebrated his life a few weeks ago, there is little doubt that the stress and tragedy of the last two...
As anticipated by most of us observers with an ounce of common sense, the awkward CIF Central Section divisional playoffs seedings which proved to be disastrous in the fall, were recently updated by the Central Section Board of Directors. While this latest action, approved February 1, does slap a band-aid on the gaping wound of the format used in the fall, it is still short of practical application and equity for our high school teams. Just to recap, in the start of the season the Central...
Apologies for my absence from these pages over the last few issues. There has been plenty happening in my life and deadlines seem to come and go. A few months ago, I mentioned this insane journey I was starting to attempt to complete the 2022 Los Angeles Marathon - bringing attention to two things: my quest to assist World Vision in bringing clean water to developing countries, and overcoming the undeniable fact that I do not enjoy running. I guess it is time for an update with the big event...
