Meet Your New Neighbors

When it came time to think about retirement, Nan and Raul Alvarez thought about Tehachapi, a place they had visited many times on family vacations for a period of about 35 years. They came to visit family members who lived on Deertrail in Bear Valley Springs creating fond memories. When Raul retired, he suggested the move, Nan agreed and they moved into their home in July although Nan is still traveling to Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. two days a week where she teaches child psychology.

Raul was born in East Los Angeles and has two older sisters. The family moved to Montebello when he was four years old. He went to Cal State Los Angeles, studied history and said that he taught for a couple of years before finding his true interest in the non-profit sector. He moved to Fullerton in 1987 and worked with Cypress College and the local YMCA for over 20 years. In addition, he worked as a sports referee for UCLA.

Nan was born in La Cañada near Glendale, Calif. She has three older brothers. She has a doctorate in Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and works as a child psychotherapist. Once settled, she plans to start a practice in Tehachapi.

When Nan and Raul married, they had five children between them. All five were raised together in a blended family and all consider themselves siblings. Nan said that they are still very protective of one another.

Raul likes to spend his time playing golf and is very interested in astronomy. Nan is into arts and crafts and even has a room dedicated to it. She likes to sew and make art objects using the process of quilling. Quilling is the art of rolling little strips of paper and gluing them together to form pieces of art. She also likes to make collage pieces. In fact, Raul also enjoys making collages and they often work together in Nan’s workspace. Nan’s other “hobby” is playing with and looking after their canine family members Scout and Turner. Both Nan and Raul are huge Dodgers fans and are no doubt glued to the television these days.

Welcome to Tehachapi Raul and Nan. We look forward to seeing you around Tehachapi.

Casey Smith and Sage Kirby moved into their new home in Tehachapi in the middle of September. Both liked the area and the idea of having four seasons as well as being located close to friends and relatively near Casey’s work at Lockheed Martin where he has worked for two years. Last May he became an IT manager, an administrator working with network and internet security and tech support.

Casey was born and raised in the Antelope Valley, living in Quartz Hill. He has a brother who is also living in Tehachapi. He attended Bakersfield College and then worked for JT3 at Edwards Air Force Base before joining Lockheed. He loves music and plays guitar, bass and ocarina.

Sage was born in Oxnard, Calif. and was raised in the Ojai Valley. She has an older sister. Until joining Casey in Tehachapi, she was a barista at one of the most popular coffee houses in Ojai, Java & Joes, a job she had for five years.

Sage said she was there during the Thomas Fire that ripped through the mountains behind Ojai in 2017. She had come to work that morning and ground the coffee beans. Once she saw how close the fire was coming to town, she knew the store wouldn’t be open that day. She said that for days after the fire was contained, the air was unbreathable and everyone still had to wear masks even while the sun was shining.

Music is also a passion for Sage. She has played the violin since 6th grade and learned the cello in middle school. She is a crafter, a hobby which took on a life of its own when she started making costumes. Her costumes have become larger and more complex and she has now even created costumes for Comic-Con.

Sage and Casey met on an online website and that was that. I am sure they will both enjoy their new Tehachapi home. I wouldn’t be surprised if, with Halloween coming, Sage would find herself creating something spooky and wonderful. She already has a black cat named Ursa.

Welcome to your new home in Tehachapi, Casey and Sage.

If you have moved to Tehachapi within the last six months, Hilltop Welcoming Service has a bag of information about the Greater Tehachapi area, its activities, events, government and facilities. There are always a few coupons and gifts, as well. It is a great way to learn about your new community. Being part of this column is strictly optional. If you would like a visit from the Welcome Hostess contact our office at (661) 822-8188.