Meet Your New Neighbors

I met Paul and Pamela Forbat in Central Park on the 4th of July. They said that they had bought their new second home in Bear Valley Springs last April and were only weekenders. It took a few months and several phone calls for us to connect again. Paul told me that this was their second vacation home in the mountains; the first had been in Pine Mountain Club. Their permanent home is in Simi Valley, Calif., between the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County. They said that it was the four seasons that appealed to them as well as the affordability of the area. Paul added that the sense of community they experienced here was also a factor.

Paul is a commercial real estate broker and Pamela is now a self-proclaimed homemaker. She was a writer and at one time wrote for a national magazine for stock brokers. She also works on Mondays as a docent at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. They met in college at USC where Paul was a guitar major and Pamela majored in journalism.

Paul was born in England. His family came to the United States when he was five years old and settled in New York State. He added that his parents had also spent some time as missionaries in India. He is a church elder and was a pastor for a few years. Playing the guitar is still one of his favorite things to do. He has played guitar for the group Original Gumball Factory and has also played for the Special Olympics.

Pamela was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri but moved to California to go to USC. She said that aside from her work at the presidential library, she is a special needs helper at their church. She and Paul have two grown children, a son and a daughter. Their daughter is currently a midwife and studying medicine at USC in Los Angeles. Hershey (Schnoodle) and Cocoa (West Terrier) are the couple’s vocal home protectors. I discovered that they could both be won over with a treat.

Welcome to Tehachapi to the Forbats and enjoy your mountain retreat.

Berry and Tammy Clanton are horse people. They live and breathe horses. They moved to Bear Valley Springs from Bakersfield this summer at the suggestion of friends. The couple married seven years ago and lived in Bishop, Tammy’s hometown, for about a year before moving to Bakersfield, Berry’s hometown. Tammy said that he didn’t like Bishop very much and always complained because he had to wear a coat. On the other hand, “I hate Bakersfield,” said Tammy.

Tammy was born in Bridgeport, California. The family moved to Bishop when she was in the first grade. Her dad was a real cowboy; he lived to work cows. Her aunt and uncle are still horse trainers. She said that she has a picture of her mother on horseback moving cows while pregnant with a kid behind her. She has two brothers, one older and one younger. Her younger brother is now a sheriff in San Luis Obispo County. She told me her dad got sick and passed away when she was 12.

Tammy says that she has been riding “forever”. She and her 26 year old horse Trouble, nicknamed Squirrel, have done trail trials, reining and showing and have won numerous awards. “I’ve done everything on her,” said Tammy. Trouble has truly earned her retirement in Bear Valley Springs. Tammy has been a veterinary technician for at least 20 years and is still commuting to Bakersfield. Her fourteen year old daughter, Karli, is also still going to school at Garces in Bakersfield.

“Berry loves Bakersfield,” says Tammy. He was raised there with his brother Gary. He has been a farrier for many years and still works daily in Bakersfield. He has a daughter Cora, who is an ER nurse at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, near San Diego. Tammy said that Berry at one time trained cow dogs. He now has only two pups left and may not raise more.

As you might guess, Trouble is not the only horse on their property. The Clantons have five other horses that they ride. Karli has an old rescue Australian Shepherd who is in her teens and has earned her place to stretch out on the front porch. That makes three dogs. Tammy added that they also have two turtles, two cats and some chickens. That’s quite a household.

To the entire Clanton household, Welcome to Tehachapi.

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./i>