Walmart is welcome in Tehachapi

It was recently written in the Letters to the Editor section of the Tehachapi News that there was no need for a Wal-Mart in Tehachapi. What a sad statement. As any town grows it needs new business to support that growth. Like it or not Wal-Mart, just like Home Depot, brings jobs to the area and much needed revenues to our town.
Just a few facts about Wal-Mart: the store has an employee base of over 1.6 million employees worldwide; the store has provided more than $200 million to charities; the store offers an average hourly salary of over $10 and excellent opportunities for advancement; and the store offers health care benefits to both full and part-time workers.

I welcome Wal-Mart to our town for a number of reasons, first of which is that I don’t want to drive down the hill to do my shopping. I don’t want to subsidize the oil companies by burning more gas. I like the idea of having a choice in my shopping. I feel the elderly will be much better served by having all their shopping needs under one roof, not to mention lower cost of the products. Maybe after shopping at Wal-Mart the elderly will have enough money left over to take in a movie or dine out.
Our streets can handle the added traffic that Wal-Mart and Home Depot will bring and who knows, maybe we’ll get more new stores like Pep Boys or Mervyns.

Those who fear Wal-Mart and write about Wal-Mart’s policies need to get the facts straight. If you really want to learn about Wal-Mart and see for yourself what the company is about and does for both it’s employees and the community go to this website link and judge for yourself. Visit www.walmartfacts.com/doyouknow/, once there click on “At A Glance”.

YES will be missed

It was with mixed emotions that I read in the Tehachapi News that the Youth Entertainment Showcase would be no more.

I can certainly sympathize with Nancy Grecian’s decision to drop the program after 20 wonderful years of bringing out the talent of our local youth and giving them a showcase for their talents for parents and friends.

Mrs. Grecian literally has given thousands of hours to the program she started. I don’t think the public fully understands the time, dedication and, yes, her own funds, to present outstanding dramas and musicals to our community.

She has had to deal with inadequate facilities, little funds and not enough recognition. Hundreds of our young people learned to have fun, to speak before groups and to develop self-confidence under her tutelage.

It has been a labor of love for Mrs. Grecian and as the grandfather of two of her former cast members I can only say thank you, Nancy. It was a great ride and I hate to see it end.

Global warming is no big deal

The Achilles heel of global warming is that it overstates the extent of existing knowledge and its degree of certainty. Global warming is an unproven theory, which makes it an opinion, but the fear of the sky falling is a powerful weapon in the hands of deceitful people with hidden agendas.

Disinformation circulated by extraordinarily dedicated advocates include blaming crop failures, new diseases, species becoming extinct, glaciers melting and sea level rising. Yes, it is true that the world is getting slightly warmer, a natural phenomenon that started in 1850 and long before carbon emissions became the number one enemy.

If this warming continues at the same rate for the next 100 years, the temperature will rise .8 degrees, which is less than one degree. I don't know about you, but I'm putting away my bathing suit.

The sea is not rising and only 10 of nearly 160 thousand glaciers are being studied. Some are getting smaller and same are getting larger. No one can say why.
Increased carbon dioxide only stimulates plant growth and diseases haven't changed since 1960. Species extinction hasn't been demonstrated since we are not even sure if three million or 100 million species live on this planet.

Environmentalists teach a confusing philosophy when they say that we are interfering with nature and that every creature has the right to live. How about polio, smallpox and the malaria parasite?

The cumulative weight of termites is a thousand times larger than the total weight of humans and termites produce methane, a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Environmentalists, which are the darlings of the democratic party, are the real danger to America with their scandalous opposition to our energy needs, which will triple by the year 2050.

Open letter to our elected representatives

Last time I looked, this was the United States of America. Incensed is the only emotion I can muster when I see 500,000 illegal immigrants demonstrating in Los Angeles demanding their rights with no restrictions on their status. Students (educated with our tax dollars) are motivated to march, declaring this to be their country: Mexico. These people are not “undocumented immigrants.” They are illegal.

Yes, we need immigration to support our diversity and economy, but it must be monitored and legal. No other nation in the world would tolerate a situation such as this. This once proud, independent nation has been allowed to become a third- world country without strong leadership.

You, your predecessors and your peers are responsible for this defiance of our laws, borders and leading our nation into an untenable situation. Each and every representative has failed his or her constituency by not addressing this overwhelming, rampant threat to the soul, spirit and economy of the United States of America.

Put aside your petty, partisan antics and get to work resolving the illegal immigration problem. Our schools, hospitals and infrastructures are at meltdown. We could liken your lack of action and silence to fiddling while Rome burns. You are either part of the solution or part of the problem. We are fed up with status quo.

Tehachapi Humane spay and neuter programs

Thanks to Ruby Cooper for pointing out in last week’s paper that it is again kitten (and puppy) season. Her neighbor has cats that are having more cats and states she can’t afford to alter them. We know it costs a lot to feed and care for them and it is much cheaper to feed only a few cats.

The Tehachapi Humane Society has programs to assist with the cost of spaying and neutering. If the neighbor (or any other low-income person) lives in the city of Tehachapi or east Golden Hills, she can get two of her cats altered for free. If Ruby’s neighbor will contact us, we can help her place the kittens and stop this cycle. Help by altering your pets and not contributing to the population of unwanted animals.

For assistance, call the Tehachapi Humane Society 823-0699.

Immigration policy

According to the Center for Immigration Studies, there are now 11 million illegal immigrants in our country, an estimate many consider extremely low. It is somewhat ironic that corporate farmers in Southern California and Arizona are feeling the squeeze of a labor shortage in picking such crops as lettuce, strawberries, chiles and apples.

The huge number of illegal immigrants residing in those two states (estimated at two and a half million) brings to light the falsehood that America needs more Hispanic immigrants to help pick the crops. According to government estimates, the total U.S. agricultural workforce is only 1.6 million.

Larry Nelson, the mayor of Yuma, Ariz., an area especially hard-hit by the shortage of field hands, says that field work is hard and doesn’t pay well so illegal aliens are more inclined to work in construction and industry jobs where they displace American workers and cause wage stagnation or wage reduction.

The Bush administration is supporting the Ag Jobs Act, which in short gives temporary citizenship to the illegal aliens who agree to work at least 360 days in agriculture of a six-year span. When they are not in the fields, they can take any job that they can get. At the end of that time, they would obtain U.S. citizenship, including spouses and children.

Some older readers may remember the successful guest-worker program. It was called the Bracero Program. the Bracero Program did not offer citizenship. It required the guest worker to work only in agriculture and it stipulated that U.S. workers could not be displaced or their pay reduced by Mexican workers.
The Ag Jobs Act will not reduce illegal immigration. Any type of amnesty begets increased illegal immigration.

Petro Travel Center, things to consider

As I understand it, Petro has the land and entitlements to develop a travel center at the northwest corner of Mill Street and state Route 58. They acquired the rights to build there many years ago and have spent a considerable amount of money and need to move forward with the construction plans.

No one in Tehachapi seems to think that this site would be suitable for many reasons, namely the heavy traffic already to and from the post office and the Denny’s Restaurant. Add to it the future traffic that will be generated by the new Holiday Express Inn, the Tehachapi Hospital and all the other new businesses vying to locate in this area. Then, include the heavy, slow-moving trucks trying to negotiate their way in, and out of that same corner and it becomes obvious that this is not a workable plan.

Due to the opposition from both the city and the general public, the Petro people agreed to consider an alternate site that the city suggested would be more suitable.
Looking along state Route 58 in an easterly direction, the most obvious location where such an operation might fit within the city boundaries was on the Tehachapi Airport property near, the proposed Dennison Road off ramp.

From an aviation point of view, this location would not jeopardize airport operations and would in fact enhance and help support the city and airport through lease payments, taxes, etc.

Another inducement to locating here is that it would secure the assistance in funding the planned interchange at Dennison Road and state Route 58. This sorely needed interchange will eliminate the age-old problem of access and egress across the railroad tracks at Dennison when blocked by train traffic. The residents in Ashe Village will no longer need to endure the heavy traffic which now rumbles along past their homes to the recycling operation and will finally have a safe, alternate route instead of illegally trespassing along railroad property when Dennison is blocked by a train.

Since the city and the airport control the leases on the airport property, there will be some assurances and guaranteed compliance with all the terms of the lease documents. This should lay to rest any concerns the Tehachapi residents may have concerning any threats to the safety and quality of life in that area. Airport leases are strictly controlled, and the grounds are patrolled much more effectively than property and operations elsewhere. Any non-compliance with health and safety will elicit a very quick response from the city and airport authorities.

Some folks are concerned about losing the rodeo grounds that they are presently enjoying for a very low-cost lease arrangement with the airport. This operation can easily be relocated to a new and improved location near the Benz-Visco Sports facility east of town along state Route 58. This area would be much more suitable and would still have 58 exposure.

The Dennison site for the Petro Travel Center would not only serve truckers but many travelers who would otherwise drive past Tehachapi. They may now slow down long enough to discover Tehachapi and all that it has to offer. Truckers would no longer have to park their rigs all over the hill top for a few hours rest. It certainly makes more sense to locate this travel center adjacent to a very prominent recycling operation and junk yard than next to our very busy post office, a first-class three story Holiday Express Inn and the future Tehachapi City Hospital. The Dennison site makes for good planning and common sense.

Editor’s Note: Mr. Sandy’s letter is a followup on the presentation he made to the Tehachapi City Council last month. He submitted his remarks to the Tehachapi News prior to the council meeting, unfortunately the News has not been able to publish those comments until this week. The city council voted against the Petro Travel Center on airport property.

Community involvement

A few weeks ago I asked our readers if they thought 45 mph was a reasonable speed for Red Apple Avenue. Then last week I requested that readers share their concerns about other roads in the Tehachapi area.

The response has been wonderful, indicating that people do care about safety issues.

Following are the letters received on the Red Apple Avenue speed limit issue and other traffic concerns.

Readers response:
I also have concerns about the speed limit on Red Apple. There have already been several accidents on the curve at Red Apple and Reeves Street. One accident involved a vehicle which went over the embankment at this spot. However, I have greater concerns about the speed limit on Westwood Boulevard, which runs through a residential neighborhood where children play, people walk, and others ride bicycles. I have witnessed drivers using the center left-hand turn lane as a passing lane as they drive 60 mph. These concerns regarding the speed limit on Westwood have been brought to our county supervisor and the county road engineer by me, but there was no interest by either. Isn't it interesting that State Highway 202, a rural road, has a speed limit of 40 mph, yet a residential road through Golden Hills is 45 mph.
— Larry Park

Thank you for focusing attention on a very important problem here in Tehachapi. As a resident along Red Apple Avenue, I agree that the current speed limit of 45 mph along Red Apple is excessive. It is extremely curious that on the other side of Tucker Road, the speed limit drops to 35 mph. While the opening of Red Apple Avenue relieved the congestion on State Route 202, it created a dangerous situation that needs resolution through a reduction in the speed limit. When I spoke before the Kern County Planning Commission at the hearing regarding Red Apple Avenue, and when I met with road engineers and designers at the Kern County Roads Department, the importance of a 35 mph speed limit was stressed. The Tehachapi Unified School District no longer has school bus stops on Red Apple Avenue because the California Highway Patrol (CHP) deems this unsafe. If the distance along Red Apple Avenue is only 1 mile, then a 35 mph speed limit would only cost us all a few seconds more of drive time. This is a small price to pay for our safety!
— Carl Satton
Red Apple Protective Association

Let me sincerely thank you for bringing this issue to light.I think the Red Apple extension was a great idea but the speed limit and lack of enforcement leaves much to be desired. Simply put, 45 mph is much too fast for this short lane of travel. The curve on the west- bound route is much too tight for the current speed limit. I have been traveling 45 mph on the new road and have been passed twice since its opening. The speed limit should be reduced to 35 mph to coincide with Tehachapi Blvd. Great issue to be discussed.
— John Aguilar
Golden Hills

I agree, I think 45 mph is too fast for Red Apple. But, the problem is also happening on my residential street. White Pine is a narrow, residential street and the posted speed limit is 40 mph. Cars often race down this street exceeded the already too high speed limit. Mariposa which is twice as wide is 35mph. This doesn't make sense. Thank you.
— Julie Hammer

I am sorry this is late, but I would like to also express this about Red Apple and Westwood. From what I read in today's paper, many are concerned about the speed. I too live just off of Westwood. Something that was not addressed in the two emails you printed was the fact about dump trucks and cement trucks. They come barreling down Westwood at a very dangerous speed. The noise is tremendous that they make.

Westwood used to be a quiet street that went through Golden Hills. Now it sounds like a freeway. Just two weeks ago, a little dog was killed by a speeding vehicle.
I really wish that someone would consider the above facts. It just seems to be an accident waiting to happen.
Thank you for hearing me out.
— P. Duarte

Editor’s note: Next week, I’ll publish the rest of the submissions that came in this week on the topic of traffic speed and other traffic issues.

Kindergarteners thanks PTG for support

The Tompkins Elementary School morning kindergarten class of Mrs. Scott would like to express thanks and appreciation to our school Parent Teacher Group. They provided a generous donation to buy books for our classroom and we were able to get several great books at our reading level. The PTG also purchased a book for every child to keep.

Last week, there was a wonderful story telling assembly that the whole school enjoyed thanks to the planning and donation of our PTG.

The PTG is terrific and we appreciate all that you do for our class and the whole school.

Thanks to lady the who prays for schools

I would like to say thank you to the woman who spends her days pacing the sidewalks outside of both the junior high and high school campuses as she prays for our kids and teachers. I have boys in both schools, and I know the problems that the schools face and the trials that our kids face. I feel much safer just knowing that the faith and prayers of one mighty intercessor can bring protection for many.

We, as a government, have taken prayer out of school, but God in his love and mercy would still send servants like you to pray for our kids. I don’t know of a more noble cause. If our town had a Novel Peace award, you would have my vote.

On the job — putting out a fire

Five minutes after arriving on scene of a Golden Hills fire, firefighters had stopped the flames and within 15 minutes the fire was totally out. Unusual? Not really, it was just what they do.

Engines from Kern County Fire Station 12, 16 and the prison, as well as a water tender from Station 11, responded to a fire on Quail Canyon Road March 29.

The inmate crew from CCI was one of the first units to arrive and start dowsing the flames.

Battalion Chief Heidi Dinkler assumed command of the operation after arriving from Station 11 in Keene.

According to Capt. Randy Kit of the Station 12, the cause of the fire that started at approximately 4 p.m. was probably electrical. He said several fires are caused by electrical problems.

Kit also said that outlets with cords should not be crowded with combustible materials.

Unstable Delta levees pose potential threat to Tehachapi

With so many issues to deal with right here at home, including the accelerating pace of residential and commercial development, the potential for collapse of levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta 300 miles to the north would seem like something that could be shoved onto the back burner.

Think again. The delta, where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and their tributaries come together before flowing to the ocean by way of San Francisco Bay, is a vital source of water for the Tehachapi area as well as a large part of Central and Southern California. The California Aqueduct of the State Water Project, through which the Tehachapi area receives its necessary supply of supplemental water, has its intake in the delta. Any serious collapse of the levees that channel water through the delta could have devastating and long-lasting effects here in our own community.

State and local water officials are keeping their fingers crossed that the delta levees, nearly all of them more than a century old and poorly constructed by modern standards, will continue to hold up until a massive reconstruction effort can be launched. From the standpoint of possible economic losses to the State of California, the crumbling of key levees in the delta would most likely cost more than damages to New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina, water experts agree.

The delta, located generally in a triangle bounded by Sacramento, Stockton and San Francisco, is mostly the creation of man. When the first pioneers arrived in California the delta was a gigantic swamp. Then following the construction of the transcontinental railroad in the latter part of the 1800s, large numbers of workers who had labored to build the Central Pacific over the Sierra Mountains turned their attention to taming the delta with levees that have created big tracts of fertile farmland, most of which actually lie below sea level. Since then, a shifting consortium of private landowners and government agencies have maintained the levees in what is conceded to have been a patchwork fashion.

The fragile nature of delta levees was recognized when the State Water Project was conceived more than 50 years ago. Largely to circumvent this threat, the original project plan envisioned a channel around the delta known as the peripheral canal. For a variety of reasons, mostly political, the peripheral canal remains on the drawing board. If it were in place, the southern half of the state could accommodate serious delta levee breaks. But as it is, state project water has to be brought through the heart of the delta to California Aqueduct pumps near Tracy.

This makes the State Water Project vulnerable to intrusion of saltwater which is now held at bay due to the outflow of the delta’s constructed channels. Even a small amount of saltwater intrusion could make delta water unusable to State Water Project customers for years, not just one season. It’s sobering to think what this would mean to residents of Tehachapi and millions of other Californians who depend on fresh water from the delta. At the least, it would result in billions of dollars in economic losses along with great privations.

Like all Americans, Californians have been sympathetic and generous toward the victims of New Orleans flooding that resulted from levee failures. It’s ironic that here in the Golden State we face the prospect of an even worse catastrophe.

Pacific Crest mustangs demonstrate unity

Last week Al “Pat” Aronson and I were stomping the hills along the Pacific Crest Trail that stretch back toward Oak Creek Canyon. We crested a rise and low and behold, the elusive wild horses of Oak Creek Canyon were before us.

After we stopped starring and our jaws went back into place, we were surprised that the horses had not vanished. The herd of nearly all black or dark mustangs held in place.

As Pat and I looked south along the fence line, we noticed two horses stranded on the other side of the fence; we realized that the herd did not want to leave anyone behind. Pat and I continued to hike up the trail, snapping pictures of the magnificent equines. Suddenly the stallion leader and a couple of his friends started up toward us on our side of the fence.

While not threatening, they were obviously not pleased with our presence. I began to speak at them loudly and they stopped, looked at the crazy humans and turned back down the hill. Pat shook his head at me and we continued on.
Reflecting back to the experience, it lends to the oft-heard saying “you never know what you may run into hiking around Tehachapi.”

Happy trails.

Local resident receives guide dog

Diane Deutsch of Tehachapi graduated recently with a yellow labrador retriever guide dog named Aki at her side. The duo completed a month of intensive training at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. in San Rafael. Graduation took place on Saturday, March 11, at the 11-acre campus located 20 miles north of San Francisco.

Diane is a retired literacy teacher. She taught reading for many years to inmates at a correctional facility. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her three adult children.

Graduates of Guide Dogs harness the incredible power of the human-animal bond. These remarkable canines offer warm companionship, safe mobility and foster confidence and independence.

During the course of training, skilled guide dogs and their new partners learn to negotiate stairways, elevators, overhead obstacles, crowded sidewalks and busy streets. The dogs are trained to avoid distractions and disobey commands to cross a street if traffic is approaching.

Guide Dogs for the Blind is more than a school. It is a community dedicated to providing people who are blind with the opportunity to experience what a powerful partnership with a guide dog can mean – not only mobility, but quality of life. It is the only school in the country that has built its program around both the functional and personal aspects of a guide dog partnership. The school is committed to matching each person with the right dog, developing a personalized training program matched to each person’s lifestyle and providing unprecedented support services to establish a true lifelong partnership.

Guide Dogs for the Blind has produced more than 10,000 trained guides for graduates across the United states and Canada since 1942. There are currently more than 2,000 people with vision loss enjoying the comfort, companionship and safety of these exceptional dogs.

The school also ensures that every one of its dogs is well cared for during its life, whether or not it becomes a guide. Students are offered air transportation, room and board, training, equipment, financial assistance for veterinary care and support services free of charge. Guide Dogs for the Blind offers extensive post-graduation support, which underlines their lifelong commitment to the continuing success of each graduating team. Upon the retirement of a guide, the graduate is invited to return for training with a new guide dog.

Guide Dogs for the Blind is a non-profit organization supported entirely by private, charitable donations and the time and talents of dedicated staff members, puppy raisers and other volunteers working together toward a common mission.
For more information, contact Guide Dogs for the Blind at their national headquarters at P. O. Box 151200, San Rafael CA 94915 or call (800) 295-4050 or visit www.guidedogs.com/.

Teacher surveys discussed

A major topic of discussion at the March 28 Tehachapi Unified School District board meeting centered on the results of a teacher survey conducted by the superintendent’s Advisory Survey Committee.

Although the total number of returned surveys was not what the committee had hoped for, the committee said the teachers that did respond to the survey put a lot of thought into their answers.

Of 215 teachers who received the survey, only 85 teachers completed and returned it.

Positive comments ranged from compliments for the Tehachapi High School and Golden Hills School principals to the success of the “Character Counts” program.
Concerns expressed by the teachers included administrative turnover rates, growth within the community and gang problems.

As the TUSD school board develops goals for the 2006-2007 school year and concentrate on fixing any problems, they believe it is important to have feedback from the teachers.

“How can we get to the teachers to let them know that we do care? It is great now, but we can make Tehachapi better,” said board member Curtis Ward.

District superintendent Marian Stephens said this is a very delicate process and she wants to learn from it.

“I stand ready to work with staff to make things happen,” she said. “We need to prioritize the concerns and seek solutions.”

A second phase of the survey is being planned; one that will include teachers, principals and staff. Stephens and the committee hope results of this survey will also contain suggestions on how to fix some of the problems in the district.

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