Meet Your New Neighbors

Will and Kami Dennis lived in Bakersfield for five years but wanted to move their family to more open spaces. They looked for more than two years. Will said that he wanted to go back to Wyoming where he was born but Kami had relatives in Bakersfield and wanted to stay close by. They found that there were wide open spaces, natural surroundings and four seasons available right here in Tehachapi and that would be a good solution for everyone. They finally found exactly what they needed, 53 acres in Hart Flat with lots of privacy.

Will and his brother spent their early years on the huge Dennis Ranch in Wyoming. The Dennis ranch primarily raised hay and cattle. Today it is still run by his father’s friend and business partner. Will has inherited part of the ranch from his father. His mother now lives in Visalia and it was there at Golden West High School that he met Kami. Kami’s mom is also still in Visalia. She said that she is an only child but has half siblings.

It is no surprise that Will is involved in agriculture. He heads Dennis Agriculture which supplies organic pesticides for large acreage and is the local fertilizer distributor for Canna Australia. He is also now part owner of the Dennis Wyoming ranch. A true outdoorsman, he hunts, shoots and goes hiking and fishing. Kami added that he also likes to build things.

Kami and Will have three very active sons. Kane is eight years old and attends Heritage Oaks School in Tehachapi where the family also goes to church. Beau (actually William Jr.) who is five and Rex (actually Richard for his grandfather) who is three are still busy at home with Mom. When I asked Kami if anyone ever called her youngest son T Rex, she replied “everyone”.

Kami said that she is surrounded by boys. She also has to look after the family’s three male dogs. Hercules is a big Bull Terrier but it is the two Dobermans, Tobin and James, that have caused the most trouble. The Dobermans, named after the popular Tobin James Winery in Paso Robles, got out soon after the move. Kami found herself running down the road yelling “Tobin! James! Tobin! James!”. When she met her new neighbors, they said that was when they knew they would all get along just fine.

We are delighted the Dennis family chose the Tehachapi area. Welcome!

Although Tedra Bonucchi does not really live in Tehachapi, she does spend a lot of time here. She moved from Pomona, Calif. to Boron last September. She said that she was really tired of the city and the crowds. She loves the open space and skies of the desert. When asked what brought her to the desert, her answer was simply “life”. She said that Tehachapi is her favorite place to visit.

Tedra was born and raised in the area around Ontario and Pomona. She has a half-brother who works for the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. Her father was in the US Army. When she married, her husband was in the Air Force and they spent some time in Germany. After coming back to the United States, she lived in Arizona for 15 years before returning to Pomona.

Now living in her new desert community, she is able to pursue some of her favorite pastimes. She loves to work in the garden, cook and work on DIY projects. She is also an avid stargazer and was delighted to learn that Tehachapi has a star party in the summer.

Tedra spends much of her time with her companions, Freckles a trained service dog and her cat, Mohawk. That strange white cat has a black stripe that runs from the middle of his forehead to the back of his head and look just like a Mohawk haircut. She said she has plans to add a flock of Guinea fowl to her life this year. The birds are actually native to Africa, are related to chickens and turkeys and are among the oldest of the fowl breeds. It looks like Tedra’s life will never be dull.

Welcome to your new desert life, Tedra.

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.