Meet Your New Neighbors

Walt and Tina-Marie Bayer moved to Bear Valley from Mission Viejo in November accompanied by their two cats, Mini and Pepper. Walt retired last May after 28 years with Experience Marketing. He traveled around the country setting up auto shows for the company. Following Walt's retirement, they started thinking about the possibility of leaving Orange County.

Every year in May, the couple would go on a trip to celebrate their anniversary. This year they visited friends who had a condo in the Tehachapi area. While sitting out on the patio, they were visited by deer, an owl and other wildlife. Tina says it was the combination of nature, wildlife, friends and friendly people that hooked them. They began looking for a house here. The fact that Tina had 20 years of experience as a realtor was a plus as well.

Walt was born in Germany. He came to the United States in the 1980s. He has a brother who is still in business in Germany. Tina comes from upstate New York, Utica to be more exact. Her grandparents had immigrated to the United States from Italy. She said, unlike most traditional families, it was her mother who was the breadwinner. Her mother worked for General Electric while Dad was at home with the kids.

Tina originally studied dentistry and became a registered dental assistant in 1979. That career was short-lived when she discovered that she was allergic to the gloves. As a realtor she has been the recipient of many awards over the years.

It was through family members that Tina met Walt. He was living in Lake Elsinore at the time and looking to move to Orange County and she was looking for a tenant. For two years she tried to fix him up with one or the other of her friends before she realized she had feelings for him. She said all her girlfriends knew long before she did.

Now 28 years later they are looking forward to retirement. Walt likes boating and Tina gardening and they are in the perfect place for both. Tina is also a crafter and will have no problem finding outlets for her talents here.

Welcome to Tehachapi Walt and Tina-Marie.

Jessica Valencia and her 10-year-old daughter Sophia also moved to Tehachapi in November to live with a friend. For now she will still be commuting daily to Bakersfield. For the last five years Jessica has worked as a medical assistant for Clinica Sierra Vista in Bakersfield. She was recently promoted to panel manager and now manages the schedules of the doctors. On weekends, Jessica is an on-call CMA answering triage calls by phone.

When asked about her hobbies, Jessica answered "I don't have time for hobbies right now." She is taking classes at both Bakersfield College and CSUB and expects to get her Registered Nurse degree by the end of 2019. It is her hope to eventually find a medical position in Tehachapi when she finishes her degree.

Sophia, on the other hand, is a budding artist and photographer. She is also an avid rock collector and is considering attending the local Gem and Mineral Society meetings.

Jessica was born in Huntington Beach and moved to Bakersfield with her family. Her parents and her two brothers are still living there. She married a military man and they moved to San Diego. She eventually returned to Bakersfield with her sites on a medical career.

Since moving to Tehachapi, two-month-old Luna Frost has joined the family. Jessica said that although they have had dogs for years, Luna is their first Alaskan dog. Like most pups, Luna is full of energy and will chew on anything put in front of her. She is, of course, "cute as a bug."

A big Welcome to Jessica , Sophia and Luna Frost.

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.