Meet Your New Neighbors

Now retired, Tim and Mauriene Landry settled into their new Tehachapi home in June. Tim retired last December after 25 years as a Disney Imagineer and Mauriene as an innkeeper. While Tim spent his weekdays in Burbank, Mauriene operated the couple’s bed and breakfast that was located in Three Rivers. They bought the three-story, 4,800 square foot home in 2003 and turned it into a bed and breakfast in 2008. It was rated number one on hotels.com. Mauriene said that she was the one who cleaned the B&B daily until she couldn’t do it any longer. Their Tehachapi home is perfect for them and Dottie, their canine companion.

Mauriene was born in southern Wisconsin, an area known for dairy farms. She was the oldest of six children and left home at the age of 18. Tim was born in Arizona. His dad was in the Army and the family was living in Colorado Springs when Tim left for college, studying film and animation at USC in Los Angeles. He and Mauriene met at a church camp in Indiana when she was 16 and thus began a four-year, long distance relationship.

They were married while Tim was still in school, so they moved to Los Angeles. While finishing up his classes at USC, Tim had to turn down an opportunity to work on a science fiction film that turned out to be Star Wars. However, he did have the opportunity later to work for Industrial Light and Magic when it was located in a warehouse in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. His work in animation and visual effects eventually landed him at Disney Imagineering. Tim has documented his fascinating career in a short film called “Shoveling Pixie Dust” which is available on YouTube and is well worth checking out. Computer photography is still his hobby.

Mauriene and Tim have a daughter, Bonnie, who is married and has been an educator for 25 years. She is currently an Assistant Principal at Arcadia High School.

Now that Mauriene no longer has the responsibility of the bed and breakfast, she is able to focus on the things she loves to do like sewing, cooking and singing.

Welcome to Tehachapi, Mauriene, Tim and Dottie. We know you will enjoy your new hometown.

There is no guessing about what brought Irene Brennick to Tehachapi from Moorpark, California. First her sister moved here, followed shortly after by her oldest daughter Mandy, her husband and Irene’s three grandchildren. It also helped that she really loved the natural setting of the Tehachapi area and has recently retired. Her two canine companions, Sweet Pea and Rippety Doodah, also seem to be happy with their new surroundings.

Irene was born in Boston but raised in Stoneham, Massachusetts. She moved to California, attending Cal State University Northridge, and then moved to the South. At that time she was married and they lived in St. Augustine, Florida and then Stone Point, Georgia. She eventually returned to California with her two daughters and settled in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley. Mandy is in Tehachapi and Jenna is a student at Pepperdine University in Malibu.

For the last 18 years, Irene was Volunteer Director for Los Robles Hospital, a 400-bed hospital in Thousand Oaks. As there were no volunteers working during the last year, it became Irene’s responsibility to run the lobby of the hospital. It was her job to meet everyone who came into the facility and guide those who were allowed to stay, or to take and deliver patient’s belongings. This year, it was time to retire.

Irene says she seems to have an affinity for narrowly avoiding disaster. The year she graduated from Cal State Northridge was the year of the Northridge earthquake, the one that destroyed some of the campus. In October of this year, she and a friend were aboard an Amtrak train in Tucson, Arizona when a shooting occurred involving DEA agents. They had gone across the street for coffee while the train was stopped and missed the shooting, never hearing a shot. She said they just recently got their bags back after all of the luggage was confiscated by the DEA.

Irene loves antiquing and volunteering. She thinks she would like to find a part-time paying job and check out Tehachapi’s many volunteer opportunities. Welcome Irene, we’re glad you chose Tehachapi.

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.