Meet your new neighbors

Michael and Becca Dillenbeck had been trying to move to Tehachapi from Bakersfield for quite a while. According to Becca, after losing a couple of short sales, they decided to just move and worry about buying a house later.

Becca is not new to Tehachapi. She grew up here. She was born in Kearney, Nebraska, but moved to California and Tehachapi at the age of five. Her mother is Tehachapi civic leader Mary Beth Garrison and her father is a real estate broker in Bakersfield. She met Michael at Point Loma University and they were married in 2007. Becca worked in preschool Special Education at Richardson Center in Bakersfield for six years before becoming a full time mom.

Michael also is a local boy. He grew up in the Antelope Valley the oldest of three boys. His family still lives in Quartz Hill where his mother owns a salon and his dad and younger brother work for COSTCO. His middle brother is a member of the Geek Squad. Michael is head of education and outreach for Kern Waste Management in Bakersfield.

Michael and Becca are the parents of three adorable children, five year old Joanna, three year old Rosie and five month old Garrison. They keep the couple busy as do the two family dogs, Delilah and Roxie. Luna, the family cat, does her best to stay out of the way.

In addition to their busy work and home life, both Michael and Becca have taken on charitable responsibilities. Michael is on the board of Village Fest in Bakersfield, an event benefiting C.A.R.E. Becca is on the board of Cheers for Charity, a local Tehachapi event benefiting many local charities.

"Welcome" and "welcome back" to the Dillenbeck family.

At the urging of one of her best friends, Linda Hyrchuk and her husband, Ron, explored the Tehachapi area as a place to retire. They were impressed by the natural beauty and seasonal weather. When Linda finally retired after 30 years in the insurance industry, the couple decided to move even though Ron is still four years from retirement. He is chaplain for a hospital in Simi Valley and commutes weekly. While he is gone, Linda always has the company of their two dogs, Zoey and Athena.

Linda was born in Sacramento, Califronia, but her family moved to the San Gabriel Valley after a camping car trip to Southern California. She has a sister and a brother who both live out of state. Linda is a real outdoor girl. She is a 10K triathlete with favorite activities that include pickle ball, swimming, cycling, walking, horseback riding and kayaking. She adds that she also likes to read.

Ron was born in Manitoba, Canada, on a country farm that was two hours from town. The family had an outhouse and grew their own food and grain for the animals. He attended a one room schoolhouse and brought in the cows at night. According to Linda, it was a real "Little House on the Prairie" existence. His brother and sister still live in Canada. Like Linda, he enjoys cycling, hiking, walking and reading in his spare time.

Ron and Linda met at church and knew each other for ten years before they married. Each of them has two grown daughters from a prior marriage so they now have three grandsons and one granddaughter who visit when they can.

We are delighted that you chose Tehachapi. Welcome Linda and Ron.

Laurie Ashou moved to Tehachapi late last year from Glendale, California, where she had been staying with her mother. She was attracted to the seasonal weather and a visit to Tehachapi became a permanent move.

Laurie was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Her family came to the United States in the 1970s when she was five years old. She has a brother who now owns a pool service in Los Angeles. She said that "Hollywood" was her first experience with the English language. She went to school in the Glendale area and after high school went to the University of Hawaii in Hilo. An aunt persuaded her to major in Political Science, although she told me that she really wanted to study archeology. She only recently returned to the mainland from Hawaii.

Although now semi-retired, she has a varied background. She has been a supervisor for California Federal Savings, managed at a day program for the disabled and a hairdresser. She is partially blind and currently awaiting a corneal transplant. Although she gets along pretty well on her own, she said that she would really love to have a dog and plans to get one soon.

Welcome, Laurie!

If you have moved to the Greater Tehachapi Area within the last six months and would like to know more about your new community, call 661-822-8188. We will be happy to make an appointment for a hostess to come by and give you lots of helpful information, some valuable coupons, gifts and much more. Many families and individuals who come to the area are pleasantly surprised with the amount of knowledge they gather about their new home. Publishing your welcome article is completely voluntary and is not a requirement of being welcomed.