Welcome baby Edwards

Jaydon Timothy Edwards was welcomed by his parents, Katie and Tommy Edwards, on March 29 at 11:34 p.m. at Mercy Southwest Hospital, Bakersfield. He was 9 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 21-1/2 inches long.

Tehachapi baseball ready for SSL showdown against Taft

After a break from South Sequoia League action this past week, the Warrior baseball team will continue their run toward the championship with three games against the Taft Wildcats this Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Tehachapi (6-6; 3-1 SSL) is currently in second place in league behind Taft (4-4; 1-0 SSL). The Warriors hope to take their place among the top of the league standings with a strong showing this week.

“Our pitching has been very strong this year, but with three games and two away games back-to-back, our rotation will need to answer the call,” said head coach Dennis Costa. “We know Taft has one good, solid pitcher and we’re expecting to see him Thursday or Friday.”

CIF central section rules mandate that a team cannot play a pitcher more than 10 innings in a week (Monday through Sunday), which bodes well for Tehachapi.

The Warriors have a strong rotation that features JJ Holguin, who is currently 3-2 on the year with an earned-run average of only 1.56 and 32 strikeouts to his credit. Tehachapi has also received strong outings from Nathan McKinnon, who has an earned-run average of 1.95 and 12 Ks on the year.

“If we can get our offense going we should be set,” added Costa. “Wasco pitched well against us in the last couple of games that we played them, but we need to be smart at the plate against Taft.”

The Warriors have benefited so far this season from strong hitting from both Jacob Rombouts and Nathan McKinnon, who are both batting .405 on the year. Rombouts also has five doubles, two triples, 13 RBIs and a home run through 11 games while McKinnon has four runs batted in. Senior EJ Muro leads the team with two home runs and is tied for the team lead in RBIs with 13. Ryan Stack is batting .400 with eight RBIs while Matt Fort has turned in a .385 plate performance, with both athletes also connecting for a home run apiece.

Tehachapi will open with a home game against Taft on Tuesday and will hit the road for two away games against the Wildcats on Thursday and Friday. All three games will have 4 p.m. start times.

“We got a break from baseball but we’re ready to get back into it,” Costa said. “These are three big games and we’ll be ready to go.”

Letter: Abandoning animals is illegal

Last week when I arrived at Animal Town Dog and Cat Grooming, I found a puppy that had been dumped next door at the Humane Society office.

This is the second dog in two weeks and just one of many that have been dropped off at the Humane Society office which is only open for a few hours on Mondays and is not set-up to accept animals at that location.

The Humane Society needs a little time to find foster homes for animals in need of new families. Dogs and cats that are dumped stand a good chance of ending up at the pound.

Be a responsible owner and turn your pet in the right way to ensure that every effort is made to find a new home for them. If you can't, take your pet to the nearest shelter. It is illegal to abandon them.

Do not dump your pets.

If you are unable or unwilling to keep your pet, call the Humane Society at 823-0699 and leave a message for someone to assist you.

— Rose McCloskey
Animal Town Grooming

Welcome baby Vasquez

Jennifer and Noah Vasquez have announced the birth of their son Elijah Paul Vasquez. Elijah was born on March 7 at the San Joaquin Birthing Center. He weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces.

Maternal grandparents are Garry and Evelyn Swanson of Tehachapi. Paternal grandparents are Paul and Sandie Vasquez of Tehachapi.

Also welcoming the baby are great-grandparents Pat and Hugh of Tehachapi and Norman and Diana Fisher of Lancaster.

The meaning of Easter at the Assemblies of God Church

“Jesus is risen” is the first thing we think of when we think of Easter. Among all the religious leaders who have ever lived, Jesus Christ is unique. He is the only one who died and, three days later, resurrected from the dead. His followers can claim this with confidence.

Our Christian faith stands on the validity of this claim. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, our faith is meaningless. But we believe Jesus did rise from the dead and walked out of the tomb that proclaims Him as the very son of God.

Tehachapi Trojans baseball club

The Tehachapi Trojans, a 16 and under travel baseball club, completed their first year together representing Tehachapi in several tournaments and many practice games throughout southern California.

The team consisted of a great group of young men that did very well and the community can all be proud of. They are still representing us in Little League and the junior varsity and varsity baseball teams at Tehachapi High School.

Playing baseball through summer and fall will help these young men to not only make them better baseball players, but well-rounded individuals in our community.

The Tehachapi Trojans are getting ready to start their second season and would like to ask the community for help to get these boys playing again. This year we will have another 16 and under team as well as a 12 and under team. We need sponsors, donations or any support that Tehachapi can offer.

Tryouts will be conducted on Sunday, April 30, at 5 p.m. at Meadowbrook Park. The age cut-off date is May 1 as long as the player doesn’t turn 17 before being eligible to play.

For more information, to donate or to become a sponsor, call Umberto Silva at 300-1396 or Paul Wheeler at 496-9312.

CV School recognizes students

Students at Cummings Valley Elementary School are recognized each month for best exemplifying great character in the Character Counts! program.

Teachers from each classroom choose one student who has shown a specific character trait and in March, students concentrated on “Trustworthiness: Promise-Keeping and Loyalty.”

Shown here receiving their award from CVS Principal David Spencer are Whitney Johnson, Tyler Glennan, Jill Molidor, Megan Barnes, Bryan Cotta, Joshua Trupp, Ryan Poulson, Sean Manes, Luke Potter, Brendan Gaura, Alexandra Caballero, Emily Lewis, Eduardo Mugica, Devan Verone, Sean Dickie, Bridget Hall, Trent Botbyl, Marla Lara, Caleb Ellms, Allyson Schellenberg, Holly Lambert, Bo Thevelius, Marty Yarlot, Sean Kepler, Robert Kelly, Laynie Miller, Roquel Ramirez, Alex Diaz, Ryan Downs, Joshua LaMonte, Jessica Ferrin, Candra Hall and Shannon Werle.

GHE announces third quarter award winners

Third Quarter Award Assemblies were held on April 4 and 5 at Golden Hills Elementary School. The following students were recognized for their hard work and academic accomplishments.
Honor roll and principal’s honor Roll recognizes students in the third through fifth grades. Honor roll is defined as all As and Bs, with no Us in any other area. Principal’s honor roll is defined as all As, outstanding in citizenship (seven out of nine Os) and no Us.

Outstanding Citizenship

Ashley Hall, Kallie Reid, Jazzmin Silva,Kayleigh Brailey, Anthony Cole, Maranda Maliska, Seth Ramirez, Sierra Self, Naomi Tindall, Taylor Williams, Ethan Zehr, Julie Stickney, Nikoli Hackleman, Leslie Funes, David Allende, Felicity Frederickson, Edgar Garcia, Brenda Higareda, Jamie Kalish, Jose Pena, Andrew Ramirez, Raschel Riggs, Jesús Sanchez, Courtney Bachman, Caroline Datu, Israel Guerrero, Brycen Jacobson, Sierra Jensen, Venessa Lara, Seth Lum, Natalie Uribe, Corbyn Agar, Rachel Lee, Zachary Noblett, Ryan O’Beirne, Kimberly Ottinger, Tyler Smith, Anthony Zuniga, Nicholas Barrett, Ann Curliss, Athena Noda, Natalie Preciado, Misty Sanchez, Clarissa Castillo, Jose Giron, Kevin Reid, Alec Thompson, Mia Bonham, Andrew Brown, Jasmine Delgadillo, Theodore Diefenderfer, Jessica Hamilton, Stephen Muller, Kyler Sasser, Taylor Cummings, Karson Gilbert, Jordan Green Roy, Cassidy Lambeth, Christopher Llamas, Kaylee Shugart, Savannah Sloan, Sarah Stickeny, Madison Cornell, Matthew Horne, Jasmine Medovitch, Brandon Monzon, Crimson Kinnett, Sara Beaudin, Douglas Buckley, Kirsten Medovitch, Mirna Meza, Jackelyn Padilla, Mishell Rios, Zachary Berstler, Justine Torres, Dakota Valentine, Sophia Vargas, Brittney Lysee, Brooke Boyd, Madeleine Cass, Sara Gurule, Malcolm Harrell, Abigale Harrison, Andrew Horn, Destiny Julye, Gabriella LaCoe Nash, Alanna Bell, Jamie Boston, Nathan Hedberg, Kendall Kapitzke, Kimberly Kendhammer, Asjlyn Ortiz, Trevor Rush, Kailee Ball, Alicia Camarena, Alex Romo, Bethany Gusbeth, Erica Lafon, Mitchell Marquez, Connor O’Neal, Chris Rhodes, Rebekah Richardson, Brittney Sanchez, Megan Stout, Darian Padilla, Emilee Carr, Mikaela Coello, Lindsay McFeely, Amy Ottinger, Madisann Parks, Nickolas Powell, Maygen Turowski, Carolyn Chrystal, Shawnee Buttcane, Gregory Dodge, Micah Fjeld, Morgan Garone, Dallin Hansen, Amelia Harrison, Hailey Hedberg, Morgan Sherritt, Kayla Trevino, Alex Bullard, David Carter, Breanna Davis, Shannon Farley, Megan Harp, Robert Hoggan, Elizabeth Martinez, Kaylee McKanna, Ashley Sanchez, Erika Soto, Trevor Stevens, Luke Thompson, Joseph Marcelino, Brian Biakeddy, Sara Dyer, Madison Eberle, Erica Gonzalez, Dakota Medovitch, Emily Mejia, Tonya Olszewski, Amber Patz, Robert Sharp, Alexis Soto, Jennifer Valenzuela, Samantha Lysse, Kristen Dressel, Dominique Erwin, Sylesia Garcia, Raymond Hackleman, Bobby Kapadia, Havannah Ulrich, Kambria Bethany, Marvin Garay, Laura Giron, Lauren Goodwin, Nicole Gurule, Cecilia Hernandez, Ashleigh Johnston, Ileana Lima, Michael Llamas, Leah Hall, Yessenia Rodriguez, Sarah Brzezinski, Lauren Chavira, Megan Chavira, Rheanna Cowee, Ryan Flick, Kameron Gilbert,Kathryn O’Neal, Renae Reininger, Alexxis Silva, Brittany Upchurch, Mallory Wink, Austin Ream, Jade Romo, Sophia Balkar, Miguel Dorador, Sarah Dorador, Sonya Dorador, Shannon Evans, Jill Handy, Madison Jacobson, Andrew Jiménez, Eduardo Pena, Joshua Turowski, Meleny Funes, Jeremy Duff, Danica Gray, Robert Howell, Alexandra Mendoza, Rachel Olsen, Elaine Taberner, Blake Vescovi, Scarlette Whitted, Keegan Zehr, Julianna Gonzales, Laura Perez and Breanna Priest

Perfect Attendance

Cassidy Butterbredt, Madison Knott, Joseph Posey, Elizabeth Bear, Karla Gonzalez, Ashlynn Mauldin, Robby Shugart, Jasminne McGee, Kevin Wyatt, Danny Brailey, Robin DeBruyne, Christian Salazar, Ricky Hammer, Kayleigh Brailey, Shelby Hanzel, Victoria Rivera, Patrick McBroom, Reatta Cummings, Nikoli Hackleman, Skye Siminovich, Louis Martinez, Julie Stickney, Ethan Zehr, Taylor Williams, David Allende, Edgar Garcia, Jose Pena, Jesus Sanchez, Carson Bethany, Kimberly Ottinger, Gavynn Hackett, Troy Noda, Athena Noda, Nick Barrett, Kade Martinelli, Gabe Dodge, Jay Jones, Dakota Loyer, Tori Carter, Angelique Frederickson, Stephen Muller, Kyler Sasser, Lilyan Davidson, Adam Dyer, Brandon Fisher, Karson Gilbert, Ryan Hanzel, Kaylee Shugart, Sarah Stickney, NicoTorres, Shane Chapman, Cassidy Lambeth, Matthew Horne, Crimson Kinnett, Danay Lee, Jasmine Medovitch, Sara Beaudin, Douglas Buckley, Devin Harp, Antonio Henniger, Jake Wyatt, Elisha Davis, Christopher Galvin, Sophia Vargas, Daniel Harris, Steven Davidson, Alejandra Guerra, Sara Gurule, Abigale Harrison, Zachary Haskell, Blake Hoggan, Destiny Julye, Nicholas Madden, Peter Simunovich, Dominic Bonilla, Emily Butler, Cody Michalski, Jacob Neufeld, Madison Richardson, Alicia Camarena, Chance Edwards, Efrain Garcia, Mitchell Marquez, Thomas Montes, Connor O’Neal, Chris Rhodes, Spencer Rosas, Brittney Sanchez, Harley Schmidt, Megan Stout, Connor Bethany, David Bonilla, Ty Carter, Madisann Parks, Nickolas Powell, Austin Salazar, Nicholas Steele, Maygen Turowski, Carolyn Chrystal, Andrew Bartels, Kristen DeBruyne, Gregory Dodge, Micah Fjeld, Dallin Hansen, Amelia Harrison, Jonathan Langston, Kyle Lisman, Destinie Rahberger, Morgan Sherritt, Theresa Walker, Max Weisenseel, Alex Bullard, Andres Atencio, Tyler Bakker, Breanna Davis, Shannon Farley, Angeles Gracian, Dionna Henry, Robert Hoggan, Elizabeth Martinez, Kurt McComas, Kaylee McKanna, Victor Rodriguez, Justin Zahnow, Ashley Barton, Tyler Gebhart, Dakota Medovitch, Tonya Olszewski, Alexis Soto, Jacob Stout, Drew Vescovi, Cheyanne Widmeyer, Ariana Benham, Clayton Gray, Bobby Kapadia, Justine Lopez, Miguel Moreno, Corey Sanchez, Gregory Sanchez, Christian Terle, Kambria Bethany, Marvin Garay, Tatum Glover, Nicole Gurule, Cecilia Hernandez, Dakota Jensen Bertram, Michael Llamas, Alexis Powell, Sarah Brzezinski, Lauren Chavira, Megan Chavira, Rheanna Cowee, Ryan Flick, Jacob Glover, Reno Hickey, Josh Hisaw, Renae Reininger, Alexxis Silva, Cody Sons, Amber Vargas, Mallory Wink, Sarah Dorador, Sonya Dorador, Brandon Ginnett, Darby Herrera, Alvaro Kocchiu, Jessica Poczik, Joshua Turowski, Eddie Bear, Colby Berry, Bretton Coghlan, Danica Gray, Jake Hewitt, Nick Horn, Alex Mendoza, Allie Moen, Andrew Morgana, Taylor Nelson, Ian Neufeld, Taylor Shaw, Blake Vescovi, Scarlette Whitted, Keegan Zehr, Colten Eilers, Jacob Gamble and Anthony Zamora Gilder.

Golden Eagle

Nickolas Powell, Alex Romo, Kylie Vallembois, Seth Ramirez, Jordan LeValley, Jose Pena, Alfonso Gallegos, Brycen Jacobson, Rachel Lee, Andrew Knight, Mia Bonham, Karson Gilbert, Madison Cornell, Jackelyn Padilla, Justine Torres, Malcolm Harrell, Jamie Boston, Raymond Hackleman, Megan Harp, Morgan Garone, Samantha Lysse, Klayton Duxbury, Keegan Zehr, Sonya Dorador and Mallory Wink.

Most Improved

Kyle Wood, Alexander Saranpa, Connor McCown, Samuel Buttcane, Emma Hall, Faliciti Rahberger, Lindsay Nava, Israel Ledesma, Jacinda Gallegos, Lars Olofson, Kyle Hedberg, Zachary Pillar, Angelle Evans, Dakota Valentine, Sierra Jones, Samantha Stankorb, Angeles Gracian, Samantha Streeter, Dakota Medovitch, Scotty Bivens, Laura Giron, Ashleigh Johnston, Allie Moen Atkinson, Jill Handy and Alexxis Silva.
Best Effort
Payton Palmer, Christopher Rhodes, Daylynn Buntin, Victoria Rivera, Louis Martinez, Celeste Morley, Ann Curliss, Caroline Datu, Tyler Smith, Destiny Yanez, Tygue Lucas, Jessica Hamilton, Jesus Pena, Chloe Wood, Garrett Haselwood, Gabriel Hernandez, Havannah Ulrich, Alixandra Lange, Teresa Walker, Alexis Soto, Laura Perez, Nicole Gurule, Rachel Olsen, Sarah Dorador and Alexxis Silva.

Honor Roll

Connor Bethany, Kaitlyn Burbano, Emilee Carr, Ty Carter, Mikaela Coello, Daniel Donelson, Daniele Kalish, Madisann Parks, Justin Russell, Maygen Turowski, Morgan Allen, Alicia Camarena Gilder, Bethany Gusbeth, Erica Lafon, Thomas Montes, Christopher Rhodes, Rebekah Richardson, Spencer Rosas, Alexander Saranpa, Jillian Steinberg, Megan Stout, Kolby Welch, Lucas Williams, Emma Wyatt, Brooke Boyd, Juan Gonzalez, Alejandro Guerra, Malcolm Harrell, Abigale Harrison, Blake Hoggan, Andrew Horn, Destiny Julye, Gabriella LaCoe Nash, Garrett Sebra, Peter Simunovich, Evelyn Stevens, Hayley Burke, Nathan Hedberg, Kendall Kapitzke, Kimberly Kendhammer, Cody Michalski, Jacob Neufeld, Kasidee Rose, Ariana Benham, Michael Cole, Kristen Dressel, Dominique Erwin, Raymond Hackleman, Raymond Langley, Samantha Stankorb, Havannah Ulrich, Dallas Ream, David Carter, Shannon Farley, Kathryn Ivanoff Smith, Shawnee Buttcane, Micah Fjeld, Brett Ford, Ryan Ford, Dallin Hansen, Hailey Hedberg, Morgan Sherritt, Samantha Streeter, Max Weisenseel, Alex Bullard, Ashley Barton, Brian Biakeddy, Sara Dyer, Madison Eberle, Tonya Olszewski, Amber Patz, Lindsey Stevens, Jacob Stout, Brittani Street, Cheyenne Widmayer, Klayton Duxbury, Nicole Gurule, Ashleigh Johnston, Cheyanne Anderson, Jeremy Duff, Jacob Hewitt, Nicholas Horn, Ian Neufeld, Scarlette Whitted, Aaron Armstrong, Sophia Balkar, Clyde Clements, Jade Delgadillo, Miguel Dorador, Sarah Dorador, Sonya Dorador, Jill Handy, Darby Herrera, Madison Jacobson, Andrew Jimenez, Joshua Turowski, Wesley Barton, Lauren Chavira, Rheanna Cowee, Alexxis Silva, Brittany Upchurch and Jade Romo.

Principal’s Honor Roll

Nickolas Powell, Alex Romo, Connor O’Neal, Madeleine Cass, Sara Gurule, Jamie Boston, Trevor Rush, Bobby Kapadia, Luke Thompson, Andrew Bartels, Gregory Dodge, Morgan Garone, Emily Mejia, Robert Sharp, Samantha Lysse, Michael Llamas, Robert Howell and Keegan Zehr.

Let us rejoice

The prophet Isaiah wrote about a time when God will "swallow up death forever." We are told that God will take away our grief and will "wipe away the tears from all faces."

This prophecy will be completely fulfilled when we are with God in heaven.
Then there will be no sorrow and death any more.

We have, already now, a taste of the eternal joy of paradise. Even now, we can rejoice and praise God as we consider the blessings that He gives to us.

God has sent His holy spirit into our heart to give us saving faith. Our faith assures us that God's eternal Son came into this world to live and die for us.

Because of our faith, we also know that God will guide us and provide for us. He will not give us more than what we can bear and all things will work out for the good.

Probably the greatest reason to rejoice is that our Lord has won the victory over death. He has risen from the dead and defeated the devil for us.

All of us sin and deserve to be separated from God. But because of Christ's resurrection we know that we will be with Him in heaven forever.

The resurrection gave Christ's disciples courage to boldly witness their faith in Him. They refused to accept bribes or be persuaded by threats of imprisonment or death.

Now God is calling on us to serve our risen Savior. We want to use our time and abilities to tell others about His life, death and resurrection.

As we remember our Lord's resurrection we will be better able to follow the words of the psalm which says, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Johnson graduates basic training

Army Pvt. Trevor M. Johnson has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches and field training exercises.

Johnson is the son of Steve Johnson of Arvada, Colo. and Michelle Johnson of Tehachapi. He graduated from a home school program in 2003.

Tammi Easterday, survivor with a mission

Stallion Springs' resident Tammi Easterday is a true source of inspiration to young and old: when she felt a mole on her back she fought to get an answer.

When Easterday first felt the mole in the small of her back, she knew it was not right. Her doctor looked at it and informed her that it was not anything to worry about.

Easterday insisted and told her doctor that if she did not remove it, she would find another doctor that would. The doctor finally relented, removed the mole; three days later Easterday was informed that she had a type melanoma that quickly metastasizes.

Nodular melanoma is a type of cancer that forms in moles. Easterday’s mole was one millimeter short of needing chemotherapy.

“God has given me many miracles,” she said, adding that He guides her life.
Cancer did not slow Easterday down. She has always loved horses and for the last three years, she has been volunteering at the Rise Therapy Facility near Brite Lake. Easterday concentrates on helping autistic children learn to ride horses. Riding helps with coordination and balance.

The goal of the group is to make independent riders of the children and to bring them “back into an activity in the present.”

Most of Easterday’s charges are young children but last year, she helped a 93 year old man who had suffered a head trauma regain some control over his life.

When Easterday moved to Stallion Springs in May 1992, she quickly became involved with the building committee for the new Seventh Day Adventist Church being constructed in Tehachapi.

“The Lord just led us out here,” Easterday said, knowing this area was where she was meant to be.

Easterday’s faith is also expressed in her freelance Christian writing. She was “blessed” to be included in a collection of Christian writings. God’s Vitamin C for The Spirit was published in 1997 and rose to number six on the Christian Best Selling List.

Easterday is currently working on Paws for Reflection, a collection of inspirational devotions for cat lovers that parallels their lives to our relationship with Christ.

In her daily life, Easterday still must monitor her ongoing struggles with the reoccurrence of cancer. Her type of cancer always comes back and she must have regular check ups.

Twice a year, Easterday’s check ups include “mapping and measuring.” Her doctor has a map showing the location of all moles and each visit includes measuring to see if they have changed or grown in size.

Easterday also will not go outside without sunscreen or a hat. She keeps current on any advancements and she is not afraid to question her doctor if her findings disagree with his diagnosis.

“Question your doctor and get another opinion if you disagree,” she said. “I am more aware of my body than the doctor is. We need to stand up for ourselves.”
Easterday said her cancer had already metastasized by the time the doctors removed a four-inch diamond shape from her back.

Easterday will be walking again this year in the Relay for Life Event in June with other cancer survivors. Easterday will one of those wearing a hat, as she has done for the last two years.

Country wisdom

Wisdom of the week: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

— Victor Frankl
Man’s Search for Meaning

The following questions came form a 17 year old whom I greatly respect.

Dear C.C.: Why do people actually get married? Is it cuz guys are possessive or cuz girls want a sense of security in thinking that if they marry the guy he won’t cheat on her? Why can’t people just say that we love each other and that we are soul mates and it stay that way? Why does it have to be a legal document?

Dear Teen: Your question is multifaceted, to say the least. There are states that acknowledge common law marriage and no legal document is required. Marriage is seen by many, however, as a public commitment to a relationship. Friends and family commit as well to offer support and encouragement and love. It is a joyous celebration of one life’s major transitions.

Is it right to dislike someone for what they are now and still love them for what they used to be?

Absolutely. In a new relationship, we usually are at our best, but as the relationship evolves, as everything does, our imperfections show up. Basically, you are seeing behaviors and attitudes that are not to your liking though you still love the person for what you know is their greater self.

How is it that a relationship can either bring you to your highest point or it can drop you to your lowest point in a split second?

Love and hate are very similar. They are both very intense emotions. Although it happens to us all in varying degrees, as a teen you’re subject to more of the intense emotions simply because your hormones are plentiful and often pop up when you least want them to.

Feelings are powerful and can bring much richness to life. The power they have is the power you choose to give them. Try and enjoy the ride. Those experiences will be helpful as you mature, believe it or not.

Why do people care so much about the opinions of people they don’t even like? Shouldn’t you only care about the opinion of people you do like, such as family and close friends?

Yes, you are right again. We’ve been taught to be a particular person, or to behave in a certain manner. We’ve been bombarded with “shoulds” since birth. That is the side we try to offer others so we can feel good about ourselves.

Often we don’t have the energy or desire to pretend around those we really care about. We just want to be ourselves and want them to accept us as we are. However, we’re all in the process of learning how to be ourselves within a world that has given us a lot of mixed messages about what is right.

Finding your real self within the maze is a hard job, but the happiest you’ll ever be is by being you. So try to enjoy that wonderful person you were meant to be and will be. Your questions are insightful and show that you are already well on your way.

Questions can be mailed to Country Wisdom, Tehachapi News, P.O. Box 1840, Tehachapi CA 93581, e-mailed to editorial@tehachapinews.com or dropped of at the Tehachapi News office, located at 411 N. Mill St.

THS graduate inducted into National Honor Society

Katrina Rodzon, 2003 graduate of THS, will become a member of Alpha Chi on April 23. Katrina (Kati) is currently a senior at CSUB pursuing a degree in psychology.

Alpha Chi National Honor Scholarship Society was founded in 1922 to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students. Membership is by invitation, inductees must be in the academic top 10 percent of all juniors and seniors.

Warrior winter sports receive recognition

Tehachapi winter sports, which included a dominating four South Sequoia League titles from five varsity teams, received individual accolades from the All-Area committee for the strong play from the Lady Warriors soccer and basketball teams along with the Warrior basketball and wrestling teams.

In soccer, the Warriors placed three players on Second Team All-SSL in Hailey Lankin, Mel Koenig and Kimmy Greene. On the All-SSL First Team, Rachel Avery, Candice Schlect, Chesalon Goodell, Kalley Jo Goodell and Jen Mumby received the nod. All-Area Honorable Mention honors went to Avery, Chesalon Goodell and Kalley Jo Goodell, while Jen Mumby received Second Team All-Area and Candice Schlecht was the recipient of First-Team All-Area.

Schlecht, a junior, was recognized for breaking the school's single-season scoring record this season with 45 goals on the year with 23 assists, while collecting First Team All-SSL honors for the second straight year. In three years with the Warriors, Schlecht has scored a total of 77 goals.

In Lady Warrior basketball, seniors Lindsay Romo and Brittney Durr were selected to Second Team All-SSL, while junior Katie Avila and sophomore Jana Smith were First Team All-SSL selections. Junior Kasie Muro was selected as an honorable mention All-SSL candidate. Smith was also selected as a honorable mention All-Area candidate, while Avila collected First-Team All-Area honors, leading the Lady Warriors with 559 points on the year, bringing her varsity total to 1,289 points overall in three years of play.

Sophomore center Jana Smith was a dominant force for Tehachapi inside this season, leading the SSL in blocks with over 40, while also logging in 354 points and leading the team with over 200 rebounds.

On the men’s basketball side, senior Bennie Dunn and junior Paul Walker grabbed Second Team All-SSL honors, while Mike Papac and Vincent Saavedra were selected to the first team in league. All four players were selected as All-Area Honorable Mention, after helping Tehachapi to a second-straight SSL title. Papac was also selected as the SSL’s Most Valuable Player.

In wrestling, senior Joe Smith took Second Team All-Area honors after winning the SSL title in the 215-pound weight class and a strong showing at the Grand Masters and state meet. Robert Post was an honorable mention All-Area selection at 152 pounds.

TYF to hold football camp

Terrio Therapy Fitness, in association with Tehachapi Youth Football, will be holding a speed, power and agility camp for athletes between the ages of 8 to 18 on April 29, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Benz-Visco Youth Football fields.

The camp, which provides opportunities for athletes of all ages to improve running posture, running technique, quickness and core stability, will mark the first time that it is being hosted in Tehachapi.

Brian McCarthy, who is a licensed certified strength and conditioning specialist along with a performance enhancement specialist, will be running the camp at the Tehachapi location.

“The tools that we teach at these camps is extremely important to power production, and athletes can expect to improve they quality of their movement in respect to their sport when they come out,” said McCarthy. “Regardless of your sport discipline, we can help you with change of direction, lateral speed, quickness, first-step acceleration, power production, endurance, and agility to make you an improved player.”

McCarthy himself is a former professional athlete, drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in
the 1990 National Hockey League Draft. Along with providing these camps for Kern County youth since 1999, he has also been the personal strength coach for Olympic athlete and 800m swimming American record holder Larsen Jensen and the Cal State Bakersfield basketball team.

“This should be a great opportunity for our kids to come out and get some good instruction from some of the best strength and conditioning minds in our area,” said Tehachapi program coordinator Mitch Smith. “Hopefully, we’ll get a good turnout from our community to make this event a successful one.”

All athletes, both young men and women, are encouraged to email Mitch Smith at tehachapismiths@yahoo.com if they are interested in attending. Specifics on the form to fill out, event cost and directions will be provided upon email inquiry. Cost of the camp will include lunch after the conclusion of the event.

“This is a very worthwhile training for all athletes of any sport and I’m excited about coming down to Tehachapi,” said McCarthy.

Recent Posts : Tehachapi News