Meet Your New Neighbors

Janine Heath and Matt Bogue moved into their mountaintop Tehachapi home on the first of June. From their deck, when the air is clear, they can see all the way to the Grapevine. They moved here from Oxnard where Matt had been stationed at Port Hueneme for the last three years. Having fulfilled his obligations to the Navy, Matt is now a consulting engineer for FM Global, a Fortune 500 company that deals with commercial property insurance. The couple wanted to get away from the congestion of the coast and the mountains seemed an ideal option. Matt is now joining the ranks of other Tehachapi residents who are able to work from home.

Both Janine and Matt come from Ohio, but from very different parts. Janine comes from the southeast part of the state, a rural coal mining region on the Ohio River. Her mother is a nurse and her father works in a plant. She has one younger sister. Matt grew up in Austinburg, a small town in northeastern Ohio, near Cleveland. It also was rural and while growing up Matt participated in 4H. He has an older brother who he says was always in trouble.

Matt studied mechanical engineering at Ohio State with an NROTC program and met Janine through a mutual friend. After graduation, the Navy moved them around quite a bit. They spent three years in Florida, a year and a half in Charleston, South Carolina and three years in Bremerton, Washington before the three years at Port Hueneme. They said they loved Bremerton and wouldn't mind going back there some day. Janine has worked as a caregiver, a job she is considering doing in Tehachapi as well.

In their free time, Janine and Matt like to go hiking. Janine is also a gardener and a crafter, favoring knitting and crocheting. One of Matt's other favorite activities is metal detecting. Janine said that they both like the challenge of "Escape Room" computer games where you have to solve a series of puzzles to get out of a locked room; a game she says was developed in Europe.

Keeping them company at their hilltop retreat is a chocolate lab named Moose and two cats, Princess and Scraggles; the latter being a street cat that came to live with them in Oxnard.

"Welcome to Tehachapi," Janine and Matt. We know you will enjoy your mountain home.

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.