Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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Friday, Nov. 29 The City of Tehachapi is launching its first-ever "Reindeer Rush" Christmas Scavenger Hunt beginning Nov. 29. Any brick and mortar business or organization within the 93561 code is welcome to participate. The applicants must provide either a $25 gift card or $25 worth of merchandise which will be used as prizes for a drawing that will include all participants who complete their scavenger hunt passport. Starting on Nov. 29 participating businesses will display a stuffed reindeer...
The City of Tehachapi and the Rotary Club of Tehachapi are seeking the community's support in gathering non-perishable food items and other essential goods for seniors and families in need this holiday season. Items can be dropped off at various participating locations until Monday, Dec. 16. Drop-off locations include Tehachapi City Hall, the Tehachapi Police Department, The Loop newspaper, Tehachapi News and Mountain Bible Church. The "Twelve Days of Christmas" program aims to fill boxes with...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi is excited to announce its annual Rotary Wine Pairing Dinner, to be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, at 6 p.m. The event will take place at the recently renovated Old Moose Lodge, located at 123 W. F St. (corner of F and Curry Streets). This is an incredible evening of celebration, community, friendship and giving while enjoying wine and food. The cost for tickets is $125. A celebration of fine wines and culinary artistry This year's featured winery is Tlo Winery, a...
At the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi, the speaker was Tehachapi resident and Rotary member Christal Wheeler. Wheeler is a member of the Wood Family Funeral Service team, and she gave a presentation known as a "Rotary Craft Talk," in which a Rotarian shares their approach to the craft of living, including the stories and experiences that have shaped their life. Wheeler initially joined Wood Family Funeral Service team in 2019 as the event and wedding planner for the funeral...
At the Nov. 14 meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi, in honor of Veterans Day, the speaker was Shane McGarrett, who served honorably for four years in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam Era. After an honorable discharge from the Air Force, she embarked upon a long, impressive career in the aerospace industry. Shane has written a memoir titled, "Out of Service: Coming of Age, the Military, a Fight for Life and Justice, a Memoir." Shane was notably certified as the first woman jet...
The City of Tehachapi is excited to announce the events and activities planned for the 2024 Tehachapi Hometown Christmas celebration, taking place on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 1 to 5 p.m. on Green Street and at Centennial Plaza. Hometown Christmas is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season, offering fun activities for visitors alongside other Christmas-related events happening around town that day. The event will feature vendors selling holiday-themed items, free crafts/activities for kids a...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi welcomed Rotary District Governor Sherry Peckhoon Sim to Tehachapi on Oct. 10 to share her vision and show her support of the Tehachapi Rotary Club. She was joined by Assistant District Governor Mary Lundstrom from China Lake Rotary and District Chief Operating Officer Kay Pitts from the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary. District Governor Sherry Sim has been a member of Rotary since she joined the Rotary Club of Morro Bay in 2005. She then helped to start the Rotary...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi was treated to an informative presentation by Kimberly Bittner, a member of the Bear Valley Springs Garden Club. An avid gardener, Kimberly talked about the Waterwise Garden project in Bear Valley, located at the corner of S. Lower Valley Rd. and Cumberland Rd., next to the parking lot of the Bear Valley Community Services District (BVCSD) office. The garden was originally established over 25 years ago, to help educate residents about options for low water...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi welcomed Kyle Yates, center coordinator for The Salvation Army Tehachapi Community Center, to speak about the work they do in the local community. Kyle has worked for The Salvation Army in various roles for 7 years, but most of his work has been with their after-school program. The Salvation Army serves approximately 500 families to help with food insecurity and they distribute over 46,000 pounds of food every month to help people in need in the Tehachapi area. At Th...
At a recent weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi the speaker was Jim Damian, the Chief Economic Development Officer for Kern County. Jim began by saying he not only grew up in Tehachapi, but also that, "I seriously grew up right here, in this room at Kelcy's restaurant." Jim explained that, for as long as he could remember, he ate dinner at Kelcy's after church every Saturday night with his family, including his grandparents. He got his first job as a busboy at Kelcy's, starting when h...
President Jennifer Palakiko and Club Service Chair Rhonda Brady from the Rotary Club of Tehachapi helped kick off The Salvation Army's Winter Coat Drive by delivering 37 new jackets that will go to children in the community. Every year, The Salvation Army holds their annual coat drive so they can help provide jackets to people in the Tehachapi area. Kyle Yates, Center Coordinator for The Salvation Army Tehachapi Community Center, thanked the Rotary Club for their donation, saying, "We usually...
On Oct. 4, Cheers to Charity distributed $53,875 to local nonprofit organizations. What began in 2014, as a small fundraiser in a parking lot, has grown into the year's most anticipated fundraising event. The Cheers team supported 14 nonprofits with grants ranging from $1,000 to $7,500. The August 2024 event, featuring food, wine, craft beer, home brews and spirit-free mocktails, brought together several hundred people to raise money for charity. Tehachapi's Aviator Park lit up with thousands...
On Sept. 26, the Rotary Club of Tehachapi welcomed Dr. Denise Lewis from the Bear Valley Springs Astronomy Club, who gave an enlightening presentation titled, "Dark Skies and Wildlife: Detrimental Effects of Artificial Light at Night." Lewis earned her doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. She spent her career at the University of Georgia as a cross-cultural gerontologist and qualitative methodologist. After retirement in 2021, she and her husband, Michael, moved...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi is thrilled to announce several exciting events this holiday season and into the new year. Join us in celebrating the spirit of the season and kicking off 2025 with community-building activities and a festive wine dinner! Breakfast with Santa – Dec. 7 Bring the family and enjoy a magical morning at our annual Breakfast with Santa from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Aspen Builders Inc. Activity Center. Children will have the opportunity to meet Santa, take pictures and enjoy a d...
At the Sept. 12, meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi, the club was treated to a presentation from Judy Trujillo, Youth Services chairperson, regarding the programs the Rotary Club sponsors for local students of all ages. Youth Services is an important focus for the Tehachapi Rotary Club, and approximately two-thirds of the annual budget is dedicated to projects that benefit the children of the community. As a career high school educator, Judy has a special passion for Interact, which stands...
As anyone who has raised teenagers knows, they love being with their friends, and it seems like they are always hungry! Keeping teenagers fed can be a challenge for any family under normal circumstances, but for families facing food insecurities, the challenge can be almost overwhelming, especially with rising food costs and uncertain economic situations. To help support local students at Tehachapi High School, the Rotary Club of Tehachapi sponsors the Warrior Pantry, a food pantry located at...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi welcomed Kathleen Kline, a local Tehachapi resident, to speak about her recently released a memoir, "My Life in the Dark: A Marriage Built on Lies." Kathleen has lived in Tehachapi periodically since 1989 and, in her words, "has taken what life has thrown at me and turned it into something that helps others." She is a familiar face in the local community, as she has written for the Tehachapi News and volunteers with the Tehachapi Mountain Search and Rescue group....
The Apple Drop is a fun activity that takes place during the Tehachapi Apple Festival on Oct. 12-13, in Downtown Tehachapi. On Sunday, Oct. 13 at 4 p.m., a large bin containing 1,000 squishy foam apples will be hoisted up in the air, and then dumped onto a huge target in the street. It is quite a sight to see, and when the apples finish bouncing, the apples landing closest to the bullseye on the target win some wonderful prizes! For just $10, you can purchase a ticket that will secure your...
There's a chill in the air and the leaves have turned to brilliant shades of red and gold. In Tehachapi, that means harvest season is here and the Apple Festival is close at hand. This year celebrates the 11th year of the Tehachapi Apple Festival and the first year it will be organized by the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce (the same organization that hosts the Mountain Festival in August). During the Autumn months on the mountain, apples, wine grapes, pumpkins and lavender are all harvest...
At the Sept. 5 meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi, the club listened to a presentation from Wendy Porter and Jeff Magdalena, from the Wounded Heroes Fund in Bakersfield. The Wounded Heroes Fund (WHF) is a service organization for veterans and their families to support them in accessing resources and facilitating healthy transitions to civilian life. In early 2009, Wendy Porter and her husband Mike invited a handful of close friends to dinner. Around their dining room table, Mike and Wendy...
At the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi on Aug. 15, the Club welcomed Tom Neisler, general manager of the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District (TCCWP). Neisler has been with the water district since 2013, stepping into the position of general manager in 2016. He studied civil engineering at San Diego State University, and has an extensive background in civil engineering and construction, working many years in both the public and private sector. He is active in the Association...
At the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi on Aug. 22, the Club welcomed Special Agent Jason Coffey from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His primary mission is to protect the safety of the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. He was joined by Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Carlos Roscoe, his supervisor in the Bakersfield field office. Agent Coffey was born and raised in West Virginia, then graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy in...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi presented Judy Trujillo, Youth Service Chair, the Avenue of Service Award for her contributions to the community of Tehachapi through working with the local youth. President Jennifer Palakiko presented the award to Judy in appreciation for her outstanding work in the area of Youth Service. A former educator, Judy's love for working with high school students comes shining through, and she works tirelessly to support the Interact student clubs at both Valley Oaks...
At the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi on Aug. 1, the club heard an engaging presentation from Chris Scotti, owner of Discover Tehachapi Tours, who is an avid beekeeper. Chris and his wife Clare sell honey through Discover Tehachapi's catering and food department. Their honey can also be found seasonally at Simply Perfect Gifts and Decor in Tehachapi. Chris practices a rather hands-off approach to keeping bees and takes great pride in offering pure, unprocessed honey. Chris is...
At the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Tehachapi on Aug. 8, the club welcomed Greg Chick, to talk about his work with Global Water Works. Greg provided a very interesting and relevant presentation, as Rotary International promotes clean water projects around the world. Greg began his interest in water and water systems a long time ago in 1974, while working on 50 acres of citrus irrigation in Ojai, California. He eventually earned his state contractor license, first in California, then in...