Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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Every November, Tehachapi High School (THS) students gather for an assembly to honor the brave men and women who have served their country and protected our freedoms. Immediately after entering the doors my fellow students and I realized that this assembly was going to be a powerful celebration of our nation's heroes. With red, white and blue balloons forming a tall rendition of the American flag and a foam sculpting of an equally patriotic-colored eagle hanging from the ceiling, it was clear...
At the Veterans Day ceremonies held in Philip Marx Central Park on Nov. 11, the American Legion Riders, along with members of VFW Post 5948, delivered and raised the American flag prior to the day's ceremonies. The National Anthem was sung by Jane Scrivner, daughter of Kern County Supervisor Zack Scrivner....
On the afternoon of Veterans Day, over 50 people attended the dedication of a bench located in front of the American Legion Hall located on F Street. The bench was placed in honor of Gilbert Louis Mitchell, Tehachapi's only MIA. Mitchell's plane was shot down on March 6, 1968 in Haiphong Harbor during the Vietnam War and his body was never recovered. Mitchell was part of the Tehachapi High School 1959 graduating class. American Legion Post 221 Commander Lynn Eckert dedicated the bench which was...
A tradition over the past 12 plus years has been Project D.E.F.T., which sends Christmas cards to Veterans in nursing homes throughout California. Over the years we've had as many as 9,000 cards a year and as few as 2,500, but we've always been able to make sure our Veterans get cards before the Holiday! There are certain requirements which the V.A. has placed on us for the cards. Please, nothing political, nothing religious (keep in mind we don't know the religion of the recipient) and no...
A fine and memorable man left the Tehachapi Valley recently with the loss of Ronald Wayne Depew, 74, who passed away at his Tehachapi home on October 25 following a brief illness. Ron was friendly, big-hearted bear of a man with great love for his family, friends, Tehachapi and life in general. He believed you could do a lot of good in this world and still have fun doing it. Ron embodied the Italian phrase "Vivere la dolce vita," which means "Living the sweet life." Ron spent his career in...
Andrew Todd Wellner joined the United States Air Force when he was 18 years old. He served a total of 27 years achieving rank as Tech Sergeant, with duties that included ground support operation and radio communications. Andrew was 23 years old when he went to Iraq as part of Operation Desert Storm, where he earned additional awards and decorations for duty performance and operations that he completed. "You never knew what was going to happen next. Quite an adrenaline rush," Sergeant Wellner...
The City of Tehachapi is assisting the Tehachapi American Legion Post 221 with a bench dedication ceremony on Veterans Day, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m., at 125 E. F Street. American Legion Post 221 is dedicating a donated custom-made bench from the renewable industry to honor the memory of Tehachapi resident Gilbert Louis Mitchell who was a Naval Flight Officer. Mitchell has been MIA since 1968 while serving in North Vietnam. His aircraft was shot down and his body was never recovered. "I have been lookin...
Some years ago I was asked by The Friends of the Depot to speak at one of their meetings about my experiences in riding the passenger trains that came through our city regularly. I can scarcely believe how long it has been. Some 50 or so years. I mentioned to one of my sons what I was going to do and he said when beginning a speech I should start with a joke to lighten the mood. The audience was made of friends and they were kind and cooperative. The evening went well and they laughed in all of...
On the first Wednesday of each month, the Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council meets in The Village Collective on S. Green St., at 7:30 a.m. The GTEDC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting businesses in the Greater Tehachapi area. Small business owners and community members alike are encouraged to attend and indulge themselves in complimentary coffee, treats and Tehachapi business happenings. Various businesses and committees give short reports on business...
The Tehachapi Mountain Democratic Club held its October meeting at Kelcy’s Restaurant on Oct. 5. The guest for the evening was John Burrows, candidate for the Congressional District 20 seat. It was Burrows second visit to Tehachapi. He was proud to announce that he has received an endorsement from the Dolores Huerta Foundation. He introduced his Campaign Organizer, Bryan Beltran, who also serves as a Regional Organizer for the Democratic Party. Club President Yvette Benton reviewed a number of club activities. Among them is a trash cleanup a...
William F. Beasley passed away at home in California City, under hospice care on Sept. 8. He was born in Cody, Nebraska on Oct. 5, 1930 to Prudence Eva and Frank (Pete) Beasley. He was raised by his mother in Lincoln, Nebraska. He joined the Marine Corps right out of high school. He fought in the Korean and the Vietnam Wars. He was a lifetime member of "The Chosin Few" with frostbitten feet to show for it. He was a proud Marine and had emblems on everything. He was both a still photographer and...
On Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 10 a.m., a ceremony will be held at Bakersfield National Cemetery, 30338 E. Bear Mountain Blvd., Arvin to memorialize those Veterans who were interred here without known family. This is the second ceremony held this year. There are 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 at Bakersfield National Cemetery, without family, over the past six months....
Recently, I was asked if I could help raise funds to bring the Mobile Vietnam Memorial Wall to Kern County. I was totally unaware that the AV Wall Board had voted to retire the mobile wall in 2025! This might be an opportunity for another organization to continue this important work that was started by the AV Wall volunteers. Go to their website for further information: www.avwall.org. They are an all-volunteer organization with a dedication to helping veterans through community service. The AV...
We have made it! This year is the 60th anniversary of Tehachapi Mountain Festival. This year is the Diamond Jubilee! A good time to look back at our mountain city, the Land of Four Seasons. I wrote a column in 2014 taken from the 1968 Lilac Festival brochure that I had found in my mother, Marion Deaver's, files – it was the only one she had saved. So, having discovered the library at Tehachapi Museum, thanks to Del Troy, I once again imposed upon her to let me see some of the other old b...
I am seeking volunteers for two different AARP programs. First, we need Driver Safety presenters. We provide the DVD or USB for the movies and presentation. There is a little compensation for doing this locally. I also need different people to assist with the AARP Tax Aide program. I need greeters and preparers. The greeters do not need computer skills whereas the preparers do. We provide the Chromebook for tax preparation, so you do need a little computer knowledge. Training for tax service begins in January as we begin preparing taxes...
The California Living Museum (CALM) will host its first-ever Breakfast with the Bears event to help fund enrichment items for the zoo's beloved bears, Cinnamon and Louie, on Sunday, July 2 beginning at 8 a.m. Guests are invited to join the bears for coffee, juice and donuts at the bear enclosure. Cinnamon and Louie will enjoy treats and enrichment items starting at 8:30 a.m. Tickets will be available the morning of the event at CALM: $10 for adults, $7 Seniors (60+), $6 Children (3-12)....
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...
Cerro Coso Community College is proud to have hosted our 49th annual commencement celebration on May 12. Many speakers offered words of inspiration and encouragement to the graduating class, including Kern Community College District Trustee Christina Scrivner, Cerro Coso President Dr. Sean Hancock and Class of 2023 students Elajae Lee and Jeremiah Lillion. A grand total of 564 students graduated this year. That total includes all graduates from our campuses in Ridgecrest, Tehachapi, Bishop and...
Let's take a look at the recent Memorial Day event at Mojave Cemetery. Paul Holzer, general manager of the East Kern Cemetery District said, "Remembering those who gave their all is why we are here today." He thanked the many volunteers who helped with the ceremony and Travis Mullins for the preparation of the cemetery grounds. Holzer said, "Tami Kelly organized Mojave High School students to help place American Flags on each grave of a military veteran who served our country. The Mojave...
The Bakersfield National Cemetery will commemorate Memorial Day with a 9 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 27 at the Bakersfield National Cemetery. Veterans, their families and friends, and the public are invited to attend. Guest speakers for the event include Speaker of the House, Congressman Kevin McCarthy, and Army LTC Joseph Smith. Deputy Director, Europe-Mediterranean Directorate at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. The event will also feature a flyover, wreath presentation, traditional military tributes and music provided by the...
On May 17, VA announced that it will host Memorial Day ceremonies at more than 130 national cemeteries to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation. VA’s National Cemetery Administration invites Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors — as well as members of the public — to attend these solemn wreath-laying ceremonies, which will take place throughout Memorial Day weekend. A complete list of Memorial Day events can be found here. “On Memorial Day, we honor the service members who made the ultimate sacrifi...
The California Living Museum will celebrate its 40th birthday during a two-day Birthday Bash on May 20 and 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special birthday admission for kids (3-12 years old) is only $4 and they must be accompanied by an adult. There are many activities on this year's schedule to mark a huge milestone for CALM, including: • A variety of nature-related and civic organizations who will be on hand to provide party guests with information and give-a-ways. • Carnival games are part of eve...
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...
Some day-trippin' destinations are one-time only pursuits, and some are the kind I like to revisit now and again. The California Living Museum (CALM) – a local zoo in Bakersfield that features flora and fauna from California – is one of the latter. I like to go at different times of the year, and each time I'm there I have a little bit different experience. I visited CALM last July on what was surely the hottest day of the season, so I thought it would be fun to go again this (cooler) spr...
This is a great question and one which I hear often. Families usually want to come in right away and prepare. My first response is to tell them to stay home with your loved one. Time with your loved one is your most precious commodity. I have had instances where families were at the funeral home preparing and their loved one passed away while they were with me. This can be devastating. We can help you begin this difficult process at home and aid you in preparing for a meeting with an arrangement counselor after your loved one has passed. I advi...
