Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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On Monday, Nov.11 at 11 a.m., a crowd gathered at the Bear Valley Springs Veterans Memorial site at Cub Lake to commemorate the veterans who lost their lives in service to their nation. The event opened with a welcome introduction by the current BVSVA Commander, Lee Tharp. After the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the “National Anthem,” the invocation was given by Bill Kritlow, immediate past commander and chaplain. Then Martin Hernandez introduced the speaker, Ildefonso Colon, AKA Poncho. He retired as First Sergeant in the USMC and is a Purple...
On Monday, May 27, a large crowd gathered to pay respect to those who died in service to the nation. The speaker of the day was Navy veteran Greg Hahn, who spoke in honor of several dogs who bravely defended our troops, and were given awards of honor. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Jim Rice, a twice honored Purple Heart veteran. Four honorees were added to the Columns of Honor on that day: James W. Saunders, a U.S Navy veteran who served in Vietnam; Richard B. Padgett, an army veteran who served in Korea; Richard B. Streid, a U.S Navy...
Recently, the BVS CSD, under the guidance of VP Martin Hernandez, pronounced our community a Purple Heart Community, honoring Purple Heart recipients James Rice, a double-award recipient, and Pancho Colon. A sign was made to post at the gate to the community to greet all who enter. On May 10, a ceremony took place in which the two named recipients, plus a third who was a previous resident, were honored. David Hernandez was a past Bear Valley Springs member and attended the event. Recently a...
With the departure of Charles Jensen from the CSD Board and the BVS community, the vacancy called for another board member. The remaining members of the board decided to appoint a new board member, rather than run an election. A call went out for applicants. On April 11, five contenders applied for the position. They were David Bouchard, Don Johnson, Michael Lewis, Paul Paparella and Leana Mitchell. Each of these candidates were interviewed in public before a full house of Bear Valley residents. President John Grace, VP Martin Hernandez and...
One thing this community offers in abundance is dance opportunities. On Wednesday and Sunday evenings in the Oak Branch Saloon, line dancing takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. The beauty of line dancing is that you do not need a partner. You can just get out on the floor and dance. And dancing is good for the brain. Sunday nights are for more advanced dances. Wednesdays, on the other hand, some instruction is involved if you come across a dance you don’t know, or if you are just beginning. Swing dancing appeals to many. It does require a partner, a...
Our valley has lost two noteworthy members in the past few weeks. Eldon (Don) Kordes was well-known as a member of the CSD Board for a few years. He was also very talented as a woodcarver and donated pieces to the Tehachapi Heritage Museum. As a veteran, he will be interred at Bakersfield National Cemetery on April 3 at 10:45 a.m. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Tehachapi Heritage Museum at noon that day. Meanwhile, his carvings will be on display through the month of March at the museum. James Phillips Carmichael has also been lost...
We have definitely been in the rainy season. All’s good, though, as we should have a very vibrant spring. The valley has recently lost one of our community citizens. Miles Coverdale passed on Jan. 27. He was known for his years of weed-whacking roadsides, and also for his videos of our valley, covering the amenities, and, even more significantly, our fragile water delivery system. Kudos to CSD Vice-President, Martin Hernandez and the Board. VP Hernandez introduced a proclamation requesting that Bear Valley Springs be designated a Purple H...
A long-time resident and active community member has recently passed away. Eileen Butera was an avid hiker, a gardener, well versed in the local wildflowers and plants. She and husband, Harry, were also long-time members of the Tehachapi Sportsmans Club. Sincere condolences to Harry Butera and family on their loss. The BVS Cultural Arts Association is sponsoring a wine tasting event at the Oak Tree Country Club on Feb. 16 from 5 to 7 p.m. The wines offered will be from the Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company, and accompanied by smooth romantic ja...
The year 2024 is here, folks! Let’s make it a great one for our community. Pickleball is still going on all winter, Monday through Friday from 7:30 til 10:30 a.m., and evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Contact Rhonda at (661) 428-7461 for more info. Also, the Oak Tree Tennis Club participated in a fundraiser that raised almost $1,000 to aid Tehachapi High School tennis teams. Around 50 people participated in the second annual fundraiser. Well done, team! The Equestrian Center always has events going on. The Pony Club, part of the United States Pony C...
The Tailwaggers Rescue Division is focusing on helping the staff and dogs at Kern County’s City of Bakserfield Animal Care Center. This center is understaffed and underfunded. Furthermore, it is housing twice the number of dogs it was built to shelter. At Thanksgiving, Tailwaggers provided the shelter with 16 pro-select Heavy Duty 6-Quart stainless steel pads. The Christmas present they aim to give is outdoor dog beds. The beds are 35 inches by 33 inches The beds cost approximately $120 each, depending on how many they buy. If you wish to d...
Nov. 11 was, of course, Veteran’s Day. Our local Veterans held their ceremony, commencing at 2 p.m. with a welcome and introduction by past commander, Martin Hernandez. The speaker for the day was Commander Bill Kritlow. He spoke about a Navy leader from the Revolutionary War. This leader was involved until his dying die. During the induction ceremony, our most recently departed veteran was memorialized. John Pruden, a very active member of the Bear Valley Veterans Association, left us on May 22. He left behind his dear wife, Susan, as well as...
It isn't often that one of our local Honor Flight recipients is a woman, but this year proved to be an exception. Well-known and long time resident, Diane Griffin, was the 2023 honoree. Her flight departed Oct. 16 and returned on Oct. 18. And, even more unusual was the fact that three other Honor Flight recipients were also female, as well as their guardian Kay Philips of Tehachapi and bus leader, Arlene Aninion. Both were veterans themselves. Each person had one regulation bag that they were...
The Senior Wellness event on Oct. 12 at the Whiting Center was quite successful and well received. Different organizations had tables from which they dispensed relevant information. The VIPs stood by, answered any questions they could answer, or directed folks to the relevant professional. Thanksgiving is on the horizon. The Oaks will be serving the annual Thanksgiving buffet from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 23. Reservations are required of course. Also, curbside pre-orders can be reserved if you wish to take your feast home with you. To...
A wonderful Senior Wellness Information Event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 12 from 11 a.m. til 1 p.m., at the Whiting Center. It’s sponsored by the BVS Police VIPS, and is for the benefit of seniors in our community, as well as anyone else who is interested. You will learn about home care, home health, local hospitals, Medicare planning and assisted living. So do come and benefit from a great learning experience! The roads and byways in our community are beginning to show signs of litter. Fortunately, the Horseman’s Association is spo...
Autumn is coming, and hopefully, the end of our heat wave. With September comes the 38th annual BVS Cultural Arts Association Art Show at the Oak Tree Country Club. The opening reception will take place on Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. The cost is $25 for non-members and free for members. Memberships cost $20. Or $35 for family memberships. The show will run all week. Our local artists have talent to spare. Later in the month, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m., Jon Hammond will be giving a presentation at the Kawaiisu Historical Preserve on Stirrup Way. There is no...
On Thursday, July 27, the CSD Board met to pass the annual budget. The board praised the budget for the most part. One sticking point was that it allowed a 2.8% COLA for staff. Members of the board were concerned that it was stated without first negotiations. After some back and forth, the budget was finally passed 5-0, with the COLA taken out temporarily until negotiations could be completed. At that same meeting, our longtime Secretary of the Board Kristy McEwen resigned. She has been with the CSD almost 10 years. Her official titles and...
It has been a cool spring and summer, so far, but is heating up in July. The pool is in full swing with the swim team, water aerobics, swimming lessons for the little ones and casual swim during the afternoons. Check the Whiting Center for upcoming classes and sign-ups. The Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association has a concert in the park at Cub Lake on Saturday, July 29. The concert begins at 3 p.m., and goes to 5 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and some munchies for yourself. The group is Fistful Of Nickels, a local group, who plays mainly...
On Memorial Day, May 29, the BVS Veterans held their annual service at the Veterans’ Memorial at Cub Lake. A large crowd attended to pay homage to the military members who paid the sacrifice in battle. The welcome/introduction was given by Vice Commander Lee Tharp. Three honorees have reported to their final duty station. Honored on the pillars were Vernon John Ahlmeyer of the U.S. who served in WWII. He left us on Nov. 22, 2009. Also honored was Melvin “Mike” Goodman who served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam. He left us on May 2, 2022. And final...
For two years now, the Tailwaggers dog club in Bear Valley Springs has been fundraising to support Have A Heart Foundation in Tehachapi. Their joint desire has been to fund a spay and neuter mobile clinic to enable more people to be able to afford to spay or neuter their pets. Kern Country has a big problem with too many cats and dogs ending up on the streets or in shelters, and then being subject to euthanasia. Nobody wants to see that. The best resolution is to reduce the number of un-homed...
Big changes have been taking place between the Bear Valley CSD and the Bear Valley Springs Association. The CSD General Manager, Bill Malinen had recently put in his resignation. He did agree to hang in there for two more months until the CSD Board was able to recruit a GM. Some on the CSD Board decided to hire the BVS Association GM, Wesley Shryock, as an interim general manager until they recruited a full-time person. That leaves the Association without a GM. Shryock was promised the same salary as Malinen, though he has much less experience...
The Bear Valley Springs Veterans Association would like to extend a thank you to Bryan Porter of Outsource Utility Contractor Corporation. A few weeks ago, the wind blew one of the flags away at the Veterans Memorial at Cub Lake. The rope was also ripped away and because of the height of the flag poles, help was needed to replace both the rope and the flag. Bryan Porter came to the rescue and graciously offered his time and expertise to take care of the problem. Bryan gave his time freely to keep the flags flying at the Bear Valley Springs...
Well neighbors, it looks like spring is here to stay…maybe. The lack of snow displays the litter along our roadways. If you love our community and it bugs you to see the litter, two opportunities are coming up to participate in a community effort to beautify our neighborhood. On Tuesday, May 2, Litter Loathers are meeting at the parking lot across from the gatehouse at 9 a.m. Bring water, a hat, gloves, a picker-upper if you have one and nylon gaiters to protect your clothes from stickers. On this day, you will be picking up litter from the gat...
On Thursday, March 9, a packed house greeted the CSD Board at the monthly meeting. General Manager Bill Malinen surprised the gathering with an announcement of his pending retirement. It will be difficult to find another general manager with credentials to meet his. In public comments several members of the public took some members of the Board to task for social media, shall we say, “indiscretions.” Those bringing the issue forth received good support from the crowd. The main task in front of the Board that evening was to pick committee mem...
On Thursday, Jan. 12, the CSD Board met for its first meeting under the new leadership. One of the main topics was authorizing GM Malinen to execute a contract to rehabilitate several of our wells that have been inoperable for a few years. Five wells may come back into operation. Will Parks spoke to the topic. They have been inoperable for several years due to lack of funding, but with the upgrade in water bills, the funds may now be available. A deed of easement was accepted by legal counsel, Don Davis, to open a hiking/equestrian trail from 2...
After a long wait, the election results were certified. The CSD office in Bear Valley Springs was the site of the swearing in of three candidates who won the seats on the board. The three final candidates are incumbent Terry Quinn, Martin Hernandez and Geva Frevert. At a special Board Meeting on Dec. 21, with a full house of community supporters, Director of Human Resources, and Assistant to the General Manager, Kristy McEwan, swore in these new Directors for the Board. Acting President, Terry Q...
