Meet Your New Neighbors

After living in Bakersfield for 50 years, Beverly Adams agreed to sell her home, move to Tehachapi and live with her daughter, Lori, and her husband. She admits at first she had reservations, but those vanished when she finally settled into her new mobile unit with a panoramic view of Tehachapi Valley.

Beverly and her husband, Leon, were both raised in the Los Angeles area. Beverly said she met Leon in high school in Bell Gardens at the age of 15. They dated through high school and married right after graduation. Originally Leon built furniture but they moved to Bakersfield in the early 1970s when he went to work in the oil fields. Six years later he went to work for Houchin Blood Bank and stayed with them for 26 years. Beverly worked for the Bakersfield School District for 19 years as a Special Education aid and in the district office.

Their daughter Lori was adopted at the age of 5 weeks old. She and her husband have a construction and remodeling business in Tehachapi. The business is also a contractor for The Home Depot. Between the two of them, they have five children located in Minnesota, Arkansas and Germany. These are Beverly's grandchildren.

Keeping Beverly on her toes is her little Chihuahua mix, Callie, who can definitely hold her own with the big dogs that protect the property.

Welcome to Tehachapi, Beverly. Enjoy your new home with that stunning view.

Sue Hill returned to Tehachapi in February. She grew up in Tehachapi but left right after high school. She said when she was born her parents gave her the name Winona, but when she started school, no one could pronounce her name correctly so she told her teacher to just call her Sue, and it stuck.

She grew up in a household with six kids, two brothers and four sisters. When she left Tehachapi she moved to Santa Maria to live with her Aunt Ruby. She met her husband and got married there. They had two sons. They returned to Tehachapi for a while in 1974 and Sue took a job at CCI in Cummings Valley. They moved to Utah for two years where her husband's family owned a restaurant and eventually ended up in Oklahoma where they lived for 12 years. She said when she got very sick, she moved to Hemet, California to be near two of her sisters.

Over time, she made an amazing recovery and decided it was time to come home to Tehachapi. Her brother, who still lives here, found a house near him that had been abandoned. Under his direction, the house went through an amazing remodel and Sue moved in on Valentine's Day of this year. Sue soon began to think she needed a canine companion.

In July, a poor little pup was discovered near the Edmonston Pumping Station at the base of the Grapevine where her brother worked. The dog had been poisoned with rat poison and had long and matted hair. He was afraid of everyone. He was saved by a trip to the emergency veterinary hospital and lots of vitamin K. He is now Sue's very protective companion and is named Eddie for the pumping station where he was found.

Now that Sue is settling into her newly remodeled home, she is planning to get back to her art, a hobby that had to take a backseat with her return to Tehachapi and the adoption of Eddie.

Welcome back to Tehachapi, Sue. It's time to take out those paint brushes.

If you have moved to Tehachapi within the last six months, Hilltop Welcoming Service has a bag of information about the Greater Tehachapi area, including local 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.