Meet Your New Neighbors

McKenna and Danielle Ryan moved into their Tehachapi home at the end of August. They had been living in West Lancaster and really wanted a change of environment. The natural setting and seasonal changes of Tehachapi appealed to them. Both of them said they were trying to downsize but it was harder than they thought. It took them a while to find the right house, but when they did, they didn't hesitate.

McKenna was raised in Downey, Calif. Her folks came to California from Rhode Island. She joined the U.S. Army out of high school and is now on disability. She loves to fish, garden and travel, especially in their RV. She has also taken up photography.

Danielle was born in Pascagoula, Miss. Her dad was in the military and brought the family including Danielle and her two brothers to California, settling in Lancaster. Danielle said that she lived in Covina for 15 years while she was raising her two sons. Both of them live close enough to visit. 34 year old Sean lives in Oregon and 29 year old Josh lives in Las Vegas. Better yet, according to Danielle, is the fact that her three grandchildren are close. One is in Oregon and the other two are in nearby Rosamond.

Danielle has worked for 27 years in the foster care system. For the last four years, she has been director of a foster care agency in the Antelope Valley. She told me that at one time she worked for Child Protective Services in Los Angeles. She said she enjoys going to events, sewing and any time she can have with her fur-babies.

McKenna and Danielle were married in 2014, in Vancouver, Wash. where they were living at the time. They both love Washington and are looking to someday buy a house to use as an Airbnb there. Also, they both love animals. McKenna said that she has always had dogs. She has had big sweet Danny Boy since 2008. Miss Ivy is a rescue as are their two "Yorkies," Klaus and Cami. I was shocked to learn that Klaus and Cami had been "bait dogs;" small dogs chained outdoors in the wild to attract cougars. Cami was missing a leg when they were found and needed immediate surgery. You would never know that this amazing little dog is a tripod. Klaus loves toys and will drop them in a pile at your feet until you pick one up to play. In the middle of all the dogs is Sammie the cat who pretty much ignores all that canine energy.

Welcome to Tehachapi to the entire Ryan entourage.

Johnna and Mitch Palmer moved from South Dakota when Mitch was hired by Scaled Composites. They settled into a home in California City but it didn't take long for them to discover that, like a fish out of water, they were not desert dwellers. In July they bought their first home and moved to Tehachapi.

Mitch is an Airframe and Power Plant mechanic and is working on the Stratolaunch, better known as the "Roc" in Mojave. The Stratolaunch is currently the largest aircraft in the world and will be used to launch rockets from space. Johnna said that Mitch is actually using tools that had been handed down from his dad and grandfather. She emphasized that these tools are still "safe to use."

Both Johnna and Mitch were raised in South Dakota. They were high school sweethearts. Mitch wanted to be a fighter pilot and when that didn't work out, he went to school in Oakland to become an A&P mechanic. In South Dakota Johnna worked with adults with disabilities. She said that she had been accepted to the prestigious South Dakota Culinary Institute but wasn't able to afford the tuition at the time. She is now happy to stay at home and be mom to 9-month-old Johnny Jackson Palmer. Johnna says that she likes to read and sew. She grins and says that she is "your basic 1950s housewife." Mitch likes to play with Johnny, play guitar and hike when he is relaxing at home.

Rounding out the household are the two family dogs. Sophia is the family Dalmatian and George Washington Palmer is a Corgi-dor (lab mix).

A great big Tehachapi welcome to Johnna, Mitch and Johnny Jackson Palmer.

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.