Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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Bruce Houghtaling moved into his Tehachapi home in November following his retirement from the "best part-time job in the world." For the last 23 years, Bruce had been a stagehand at most of the major studios in Hollywood. Over the years, he had the opportunity to work many TV shows and game shows, as well as concerts and conventions in Los Angeles. Then everything became digital and work was harder to find, so it was time to "call it quits." He had visited Tehachapi in the past with his parents...
Brian Farley St. John went to be with our Heavenly Father on Dec. 17, 2024, after a very courageous and hard fought battle with multiple myeloma. Brian was born to Maureen and Julian St. John on July 2, 1961, in Encino, California. He attended Simi Valley High School and was in the class of 1979. Brian served over 20 years as a senior code enforcement officer for the City of Lancaster before his retirement. Brian was always the funniest guy in the room and thoroughly enjoyed making everybody...
Dr. Richard Louis Sottile, 80, of Tehachapi passed away on Jan. 4. Richard was born on Sept. 29, 1944, to Antoinette and Agostino Sottile in Brooklyn, New York. He was their third son after a 15 year gap. He started life chasing after his big brothers and continued the next 80 years chasing his dreams. As a child, Richard moved to Southern California with his mother after the untimely death of his father. He graduated from Canoga Park High School and went on to pursue a career in Chiropractic,...
The California Lions Club, specifically Tehachapi Lions Club, is sponsoring the 2024-25 Student Speaker Contest titled, “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Friend or Foe?” The contest is open to all students ages 14-18, whether they are in public, private or home school programs. Students, this is your opportunity to voice your opinion (plus facts), and gather some funds toward your future goals. The competitions are progressive, with the local competitions potentially awarding students up to $500 in cash. The higher-level contests could bring a s...
There is no corner of this country where one can honestly look at the last several years of changes within intercollegiate athletics and claim things are better off. It started with NIL (name, image, likeness) payments, spearheaded by our brilliant state of California. What was intended to be honest compensation for an athlete when a school profits from their name, image, likeness and endorsement, has turned into all-out payments to student-athletes paid by large funds often associated with, or...
This being the last edition of Xs and Arrows this year I thought I would take a moment to highlight some of the great contributions that the Tehachapi Warriors Booster Club has made to Tehachapi High School athletes in 2024. As President of the organization, I am proud to report we are back to full strength on the board of directors. Special thanks to Monica LaMonte, who stayed with us an additional two years following her daughter Laura's graduation from THS until we could find a suitable repla...
If you have lived in Tehachapi for any length of time, you have probably enjoyed eating a beautiful cake or delicious dessert made by local baker Linda Pettitt. At the Dec. 5 Rotary Club meeting, Linda treated the club to a craft talk, where a Rotarian shares their life story, and what brought them to Rotary. Linda worked for many years in Tehachapi Unified School District, teaching elementary grades, music, and special education. Born in Alabama after the end of World War II, Linda said she...
Justin Pool returned to Tehachapi in June after an absence of eight years. For Justin, he is returning home, but for his wife Danielle and their sons, 6-year-old Kyle and 2-year-old Walker, the mountains are a new experience as they came from Santa Rosa, near the Bay Area. Justin is the new Vice President of Operations for Brite Service Industries, a company that was founded by his mother, Jeanette, in 2006. Justin's family once lived in Pomona, California, where he was born. They also lived in...
During the City Council meeting on Dec. 16, the City officially welcomed returning leaders who took the oath of office to begin their terms of service. Joan Pogon-Cord (District 4) was nominated and unanimously elected as Mayor, and Jeanette Pauer (District 2) was unanimously elected as Mayor Pro-Tem. In addition to the mayoral appointments, councilmembers and elected officials were sworn in: • Michael Davies: District 3 • Hannah Chung: District 5 • Tori Marsh: City Clerk • Marianna Gutierr...
Patricia Ann Grimshaw, 89, passed away on the morning of Dec. 5. Patricia was born on Sept. 16, 1935, in Gainesville, Texas to Joesph W. and Kathleen M. Howard. She graduated from Gainesville High School and Junior College in May 1953. She graduated from the University of North Texas with a teaching degree in May 1955. Following her graduation, she started her teaching career in Electra, Texas at the age of 19. In 1956, she took a teaching position in Lovinton, New Mexico. Later that year while...
I just came across a photo of our community water tank from years past; the caption at the bottom says, circa 1914. Circa is a way of saying, "about" or "approximately," or " darned if I know!" Close enough. It's from the Ed Wiggins collection and were it not for Ed's saved photos, Tehachapi's pictorial history would be sadly lacking. He was the ancestor of Tehachapi's pioneer Wiggins family. He took many, many pictures but did not take this picture of the water tower since Ed and my brother, Ev...
Charlie Hernandez had a uniquely Tehachapi Valley upbringing, with life experiences that included loading ore cars for the little narrow gauge train that used to operate at the Monolith Portland Cement Company to designing the shoulder patch for Tehachapi's fledgling new police department when he was still a sophomore in high school. Charlie was born on November 7, 1938 to Pedro and Hillaria Hernandez, one of nine children who lived to adulthood (two siblings died as children). Charlie's father...
TPOPS Orchestra was pleased with the community's positive response to their recent Halloween Concert and is now in rehearsal for a Christmas Sing-Along. This Tehachapi group has a long tradition of performing during holidays. This year the concert will be Dec. 15, 4 p.m. at the ADHC Building, 123 W. F St. Suggested donation is adults $10, teens $5 and young children are free. TPOPS is a community orchestra that plays pop tunes as well as light classical music. It is a teaching and learning...
On Nov. 21, the Rotary Club of Tehachapi was treated to an interesting and artful presentation by Dr. Leana Mitchell, president of the Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association. Leana's presentation was titled "Hard Climb Art," and highlighted the art program that takes place at the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi. Leana said she has been rather passionate about this art program, as there are many residents of the prison who have amazing artistic abilities, which can be a...
I remember the holiday season in my previous career as being laced with travel, airports, hotel rooms, tournaments, games and lots of new places throughout my journey as a broadcaster. There was one Thanksgiving that I left the snowy plains of Wyoming in the morning, just in time to catch a flight home to Bakersfield and to have Thanksgiving dinner with my wife and in-laws, fresh off the plane at Meadows Field. The following year I was in Dayton, Ohio for Thanksgiving, eating in a restaurant,...
John Aaron Fairris was born on Aug. 28, 1935, in Webb, Mississippi, to Charles and Willie (Lay) Fairris. John was the fourth of five boys. Eventually the family moved to California. He went to Jordan High School in Long Beach where he met Bonnie Lou Buckley. They married on April 9, 1954. This year they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. They had two children, Christine and John Jr. John started working at Rockwell International in Chatsworth, California, when he was 18 and retired when...
Flay Alvin Clough passed away peacefully at his home on Oct. 30. Flay was born on June 11, 1934. He was 90 years old. Flay lived most of his life in Tehachapi. Flay married Juanita Louise Clough and they were married for 57 years. Juanita passed away in 2010 and Flay left Tehachapi to live closer to his daughters. Flay met and married Maggie Clough in 2012. They were married for 10 years and resided in Oklahoma where he enjoyed fishing as much as he could. Flay was a father to three children....
Gallery 'N' Gifts has been a staple of Tehachapi's Historic Downtown Business District for 45 years. This gift boutique and fine arts gallery, run by Tehachapi Valley Arts Association, features the creations of local artists. You'll find a wide-variety of gifts for all ages made by artisans with a gift for quality workmanship. Fine art, potters, metal art, weavings, quilts, fashion accessories, jewelry, wood items, scented candles, bath/body products, sewing creations, tumbles, Tehachapi...
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...
Alvin J. Aronson Jr., 86, passed away in Tehachapi on Nov. 2, after a long-term illness. Alvin (Patrick) was born in Southern California on March 17, 1938. His parents, Alvin (Sr.) and Ina Mary Aronson lived in the San Gabriel Valley all of Patrick's childhood, finally settling in San Gabriel. Alvin graduated in the first class of newly minted San Gabriel High School in 1956. Soon after graduation, Patrick enlisted in the United States Navy, served four years and was honorably discharged in...
The Tehachapi Lions Club received a $500 environmental grant from California Lions Foundation. This grant was given to the Tehachapi Unified School District. As a result, a 50-gallon sequoia tree was planted in front of Tehachapi High School. The sequoia tree is also known as the giant redwood. They can grow to be over 300 feet tall and have diameters of more than 30 feet near the ground. The sequoia trees lifespan can be more than 3,000 years. The Lions Club hopes the tree will be enjoyed for...
Sergio and Charisma Villanueva moved to Tehachapi in September from Antelope Acres near Palmdale where they had lived for the last six years. With them are their three children Monica, Titus and Silas. The three will soon be joined by Matthias when he enters the world. The couple have friends in Tehachapi and were attracted by the beauty and culture of the community here as well as its small town feel. Sergio was born in Guatamala but raised along with his brother in Los Angeles. He currently...
The Tehachapi Warriors Booster Club recently hosted the Inaugural Warrior Cup Five-A-Side Soccer Tournament at the new Valley Park Five-A-Side Soccer Field on Saturday, Nov. 16. Nine teams participated in the all-day event. The tournament, the first to be held at the City of Tehachapi's Valley Park facility since it opened in June, featured teams from Tehachapi, Bakersfield, California City, Edwards and Visalia. In total, 25 matches were played throughout the day, including preliminary matches...
Fifteen theatre students stood in the Tehachapi High drama room and expressed what they were feeling at that exact moment. Some said they felt nervous, others excited. It was a bittersweet time for the seniors graduating at the end of the school year. This shared moment of vulnerability was part of the rehearsal process for their production of "Emily Brontë, Teenage Necromancer." Written by Don Zolidis, it is based off the work of English novelist and poet Emily Brontë. The play follows s...
Ricardo Reginaldo’s parents Viviano Nolasco and Carlotta Lucero moved to San Pedro, California with six children: Lional (Leo), Ricardo, Orlando, Pearl, Beatice and Geraldine. Ricardo graduated from San Pedro High School in 1945 and entered the Navy. He served in Guam and was honorably discharged in 1948. He married and had three children. Maria, Kathy and Ricardo Jr. During his second marriage, he had more children Michael, and a daughter Cath Stewart whom they adopted. There are many grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as nieces a...
