New County Health program coming to Tehachapi

Kern County Director of Public Health Matt Constantine appeared at the Dec. 2 Tehachapi City Council meeting to present a new program being sponsored by the Health Department in 2020 called “Know Your Numbers.” According to Constantine, Kern County residents are among the highest risk in the state for heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The “Know Your Numbers” program is a free six week program to make people aware of the numbers that show up in tests in the doctor’s office and what they mean. It will deal with cholesterol, blood glucose levels and blood pressure numbers and how they relate to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The initial intake and orientation will begin in Tehachapi on Jan. 14, 2020 at Jacobsen Middle School from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information call Kern County Public Health Services at (661) 868-0288 or go to the department’s website.

The City Council unanimously voted to appoint Sandy Chavez as one of the City representatives to the board of Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District following the resignation of Cristin Lassen. Chavez is the manager of the Tehachapi branch of the Salvation Army and at one time worked with TVRPD.

Councilman Phil Smith reported that after the Thanksgiving holiday last week, there were people whose trash had not been picked up by the end of the weekend. Thursday and Friday’s trash was scheduled to be picked up a day late but in some cases Waste Management did not pick it up at all. City Manager Greg Garrett said this was unacceptable stating that if trash is not picked up, people should call City Hall. Citizens pay for trash pickup and if they let the City know, they will not be charged for that week if their trash is not picked up.

Councilman Ken Hetge asked for an explanation of the new Tehachapi signs on Hwy 58 east and west of town and why the old signs had been removed. Economic Development Coordinator Corey Costelloe explained that the old signs did not belong to the City but to the Chamber of Commerce which had stopped maintaining them many years ago. They were recently given to the City to replace with signs that reflected the Tehachapi Live Up logo that was adopted following a branding study in 2011.

Tehachapi City Council meetings are held the first and third Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Wells Education Center, 300 S. Robinson St., Tehachapi.