Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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On Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 9:15 a.m., a ceremony will be held at Bakersfield National Cemetery, 30338 E. Bear Mountain Blvd., Arvin, California, to memorialize those veterans who were interred here without known family over the past year. This is the first ceremony held since 2019, that has no restrictions to the number of attendees permitted to assist in honoring Veterans that are recognized in this type of ceremony. This ceremony will honor the brave servicemen and women who served and were interred without family over the last year. The...
The Korean War Veterans Association of Kern County will conduct a ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 27. The memorial is located in the southeast corner of Jastro Park which is located on Truxtun Avenue at Myrtle Street, just east of Oak Street in Bakersfield. The public is invited to this meaningful ceremony. This observance will commemorate the 69th anniversary of the Korean War Cease Fire. The ceremony will be conducted by Mr. Michael Sabol, President of the Korean War Veterans Association of Kern...
In spite of the heat the day I was there, I was, as usual, enthralled with seeing the various animals, which ranged from reptiles and desert tortoises to raptors, a variety of birds and all sorts of mammals (the coastal room was closed for the day). The good news is, besides the animals there are hundreds of native trees and bushes, identified with placards for education purposes, that make for plenty of shade. Walking on the mildly hilly paved paths is easy and all-accessible, and there are...
[Editor's note: This is the continuation of our 32nd article, from our June 25, 2022 issue, in a continuing series about local military veterans and their service to our great country. The articles may contain graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.] (Raymond W. Permenter and Herbert L. Bayless are two local heroes inextricably bound together in the history of Kern County. Born on the same day, they both attended East Bakersfield High School [EBHS] in the late 1930s and early 1940s....
[Editor's note: This is the 32nd article in a continuing series about local military veterans and their service to our great country. The articles may contain graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.] (Raymond W. Permenter and Herbert L. Bayless are two local heroes inextricably bound together in the history of Kern County. Born on the same day, they both attended East Bakersfield High School [EBHS] in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Co-captains of the football team, they both joined the...
Each year on Memorial Day, Mojave residents gather to honor the men and women who gave their all for our country. Strong winds from the west greeted everyone, but the winds didn't diminish their strong attitudes of patriotism and desire to take time to remember and thank those who died in service to our nation. Victor Yaw, Chairman East Kern Cemetery District Board of Trustees and U.S. Army veteran of Vietnam, said, "This is not just another 3-day weekend or another day to shop. This is...
The public is invited to the 2022 Memorial Day ceremony at Historic Union Cemetery Monday, May 30 at 9 a.m. Michael Bowers, Trustee of Historic Union Cemetery serves as our master of ceremonies. A Garrison Flag from the Kern County Fire Department will provide a backdrop for the ceremony and we have several guest speakers, including Brigadier General Sandifer Jr. of the Buffalo Soldiers, our keynote speaker hails from Edwards AFB: Lt. Col. Christopher “SIN” Campbell, F-35 ITF Director and 461 FLTS Commander. The U.S. Naval Sea Cadets and Son...
The Bakersfield National Cemetery will commemorate Memorial Day with a 9 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 28 at the Bakersfield National Cemetery. Veterans, their families, friends and the public are invited to attend. Guest speakers for the event include Congressman Kevin McCarthy and Congressman David Valadao. The event will also feature a fly over, wreath presentation, traditional military tributes and music provided by the Bakersfield High School Band. U.S. Air Force Lt Col Hans Buckwalter,...
An important election is coming up in June! The BVS Homeowner’s Association is having its annual vote for candidates for our board. Meet the candidates on Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Country Club. You will have an opportunity to ask questions about their goals. Your candidates this year are Peggy Bergman-Smith, Dain Hurst, Guy Munday and Jim Panek, who are re-running for three open seats. We also have two new candidates: Nick Beske and Joe Horswell. It’s important to get a quorum of eligible voters. If we don’t meet our quorum, the e...
The California Living Museum (CALM) will celebrate its 39th Birthday Bash on Saturday, May 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A variety of nature-related and civic organizations will be on hand to provide party guests with information and give-a-ways. The Bakersfield Police Department K-9 team will be the main presentation of the day. The demonstration is always a crowd favorite. The train will be running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and wristbands are only $2 per person with unlimited rides. How does a trout...
The Devil Pups Youth Program For America, which emphasizes “Growth Through Challenge,” is seeking interested candidates for the 2022 summer camp program to be held July 21-30 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. Founded in 1954, this program strives to develop in its participants qualities of good citizenship, confidence, personal discipline, teamwork and respect for others, their family and their country. Applications must be postmarked by June 11. Interested boys and girls, age...
WARNING: This article contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised. (Note: This is the continuation of our 31st article, from our April 2, 2022 issue, in a continuing series about local military veterans and their service to our great country. The articles may contain graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.) (Note: As a .50 caliber ball turret gunner in a B-17 "Flying Fortress" heavy bomber, Stanley had taken part in 11 hellish combat missions against such heavily defended...
The Bakersfield National Cemetery announces its Annual Memorial Day Weekend Ceremony on Saturday, May 28 at 9 a.m. at their location at 30338 East Bear Mountain Blvd, Arvin, CA 93203. The public is invited to this patriotic event as we pay tribute to those who have served our country with dignity and honor. Barry Zoeller, VP of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at Tejon Ranch, will serve as our Master of Ceremonies. The ceremony will include a Garrison flag provided by the Kern County Fire Department, Color Guard by the Kern Count...
WARNING: This article contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised. (Note: This is the continuation of our 31st article, from our April 2, 2022 issue, in a continuing series about local military veterans and their service to our great country. Articles may contain graphic content and strong language. Reader discretion is advised. After a year of training in the Army Air Forces as an aerial gunner and radio operator, Stanley had shipped out to England in December 1943. He and his...
I remember attending a Navy League meeting in Bakersfield back in 2005 where I mentioned that my husband, Al, likes to watch a documentary video called, "Report from the Aleutians." The movie was directed and narrated by John Huston and it tells the story of the great battle fought at Dutch Harbor and on the islands of Adak and Kiska. The weather conditions in the volcanic Aleutians were more of an enemy to the Army and Navy, than the Japanese. There is a constant low pressure around the Aleutia...
(Note: This is the 31st article in a continuing series about local military veterans and their service to our great country. The articles may contain graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.) Stanley J. Novak passed away late last year at the age of 98. He lived an extraordinary life, and I'm honored to (much too briefly) tell the story of this heroic Tehachapian. Stanley was born on May 13, 1923, in the town of Natrona, Pennsylvania, situated along the Allegheny River not far from...
The community of American military veterans is not large. Only seven percent of all Americans have served in our military forces in all the history of our country. Every American owes everything they are and everything they have to these few because without them, there would be no America. Military service has many traditions including the two most basic: We take care of our own, and we leave no one behind. Operation Second Chance (OSC) is a national veteran’s organization that is committed to these two principles. OSC is a group of p...
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." – Galatians 6:9 If you have a friend who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside, treasure them. Gene Dallachie is one of those folks you want to keep and treasure. A former Marine, he may be gruff around the edges but he is a teddy bear inside. Gene has a heart of gold and a willing spirit. He is always ready to be there for others. Strong and secure within himself, Gene shows up with genuine s...
Assemblyman Vince Fong, Jan. 10, announced his re-election campaign in the newly drawn 32nd Assembly District. Fong, a Republican, has represented the vast majority of the district since his election in 2016. "Our state faces tremendous challenges, which must be addressed with a sense of urgency," said Fong. "Building needed water storage, reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires, supporting our law enforcement, producing more energy, and providing permanent tax relief are critical...
(Note: This is the thirtieth article in a continuing series about local military veterans and their service to our great country.) In an unusual twist of sorts, David Patton ("Pat") Grier's fascinating story begins not in the United States, but in Canada, and with the Canadian Army in World War II. Many decades later, Pat and his family would settle in Tehachapi. Pat was born in the town of Fort Macleod, Alberta, Canada, on Sept. 14, 1924. He came into the world with an illustrious lineage. His...
The Department of Veterans Affairs has named Bakersfield National Cemetery as an Organization of Excellence, a designation that is given to national cemeteries that meet strict department standards. On Dec. 14, 2021, Bakersfield National Cemetery was presented an award for receiving this designation. An independent team evaluated and compared the cemetery’s performance against National Cemetery Administration (NCA) standards, which are derived from customer satisfaction surveys, appearance of h...
On the evening of Dec. 18, the community of Tehachapi came together at Freedom Plaza on the corner of Tehachapi Blvd. and Curry St. after laying over 720 holiday wreaths on the tombstones of every veteran in Tehachapi's Eastside and Westside cemeteries for a brief yet moving ceremony. Tehachapi was only one of over 3,000 communities across the country to participate. The mission statement of Wreaths Across America is "Remember, Honor, Teach." Ideals that were embraced that day. Jason Stanley, Co...
On Saturday, January 15, 2022 (1 to 4 p.m.), local military historian Craig Luther, Ph.D. will be selling and signing his new book: "Our Soldiers' Stories: Kern County Goes To War - From the Beaches of Normandy to the Deserts of Iraq." The book (215 pages, both in hardback and softback, large 7" by 10" format) includes 25 stories of local Tehachapi and Kern County veterans over three generations of war, along with 85 photographs. All proceeds go to the Jason E. George VFW, Post 12114 in...
(Note: This is the twenty-ninth article in a continuing series about local military veterans and their service to our great country.) Born on July 10, 1941, Gilbert Louis Mitchell is the only U.S. serviceman from Tehachapi initially declared "Missing in Action" (MIA) during the Vietnam War. Gilbert enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve in 1964. Following flight training, he was eventually assigned to Attack Squadron 75, Carrier Air Wing 11, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), which,...
Roman Gregory Weltin, long time Tehachapi resident, passed away Sunday, December 12, 2021, after reaching the age of 80 years old. For years Roman fought various illnesses as he struggled to remain active in his family's lives. Roman died peacefully, while hospitalized from complications with COPD, with his beloved wife, Laura and daughter, Lynette by his side. Roman was born September 7, 1941, in Conneaut, Ohio to Paul and Betty Weltin. He grew up and attended school in Fremont, Ohio. He...
