News Brief

Stolen motorcycle driver nabbed in town

An early morning, wild-goose chase ended with the apprehension of a stolen motorcycle and its driver by Kern County Deputy Sheriff Ryan Sorrow of the Tehachapi substation, on April 1.

Christopher Jacob Brown, 25, of Bakersfield was pulled over near the intersection of Tehachapi Boulevard and Tucker Road at approximately 12:30 a.m. for operating the bike without a license plate. The vehicle had been reported stolen from the Oxnard area. When deputy Sorrow exited his vehicle and approached, the driver of the motorcycle took off and led the deputy on a brief, erratic ride around town with speeds ranging from 10 to 60 mph.

Assisted by deputies John Smith and Kevin Maxwell, Brown was arrested and transported to Kern County jail for possessing a stolen vehicle, evading an officer, driving a vehicle without a license plate and improper licensing for operating a motorcycle.

TVHD Cal City clinic to open

The Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District in California City Clinic will officially open on Wednesday, April 12. To start, the clinic will be open one day per week from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Known as the Tehachapi Family Health Center – California City, 9350 N. Loop Blvd, California City, CA 93505, the clinic may be contacted by calling (760) 373-1785.

McCarthy Legislation approved

Bill gives law enforcement a bigger share of assets seized from drug dealers

Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, of Bakersfield said last week that the Assembly Public Safety Committee has approved his legislation to increase funding for local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and crime victims by increasing their share of assets seized from drug dealers.

“This legislation increases our support for police, sheriffs, prosecutors and crime victims, all without raising taxes on hard-working Californians,” McCarthy said. “After we seize drug dealers’ ill-gotten gains, we’re going to put them to better use to fight crime in our communities.”

McCarthy’s legislation, AB 2336, will ensure that money and other assets seized in drug-related crimes are used to fight crime. Under current law, 24 percent of the assets are to be given to the Conflict Resolution and School Violence Program, which hasn’t been in existence since 1998. The money instead has been sent into the General Fund and spent in other areas.

AB 2336 will fix this problem. It will increase funding for law enforcement agencies that participated in the seizure and will increase funding for programs designed to combat drug abuse and divert gang activity.

The bill is sponsored by several statewide law enforcement groups, including the California State Sheriffs’ Association, the California Police Chiefs’ Association and the California District Attorney Association. McCarthy has been working closely with Michael Yraceburn, Kern County’s Supervising Deputy District Attorney, to craft this beneficial bill.

Kern County District Attorney Ed Jagels said the legislation is good news for the county. “This legislation will help us put more drug dealers behind bars, and will reinforce our fight against the ongoing meth problem,” Jagels said.

AB 2336 was approved on April 4 on a bipartisan vote of the Public Safety Committee. It was sent to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where a hearing date has not yet been set.

Bear Valley Police Department activity log: March 23 through April 5

The Bear Valley Police Department received 224 calls for service during the past reporting period. Twenty-two traffic citations were issued. There was only one reported, non-injury traffic accident. Considering the poor weather, this is good.
Arrests

Kamel Louis Kamel, 52, of Irvine, was arrested for driving under the influence. Martin Cardenas, 25, of Tehachapi, was arrested for driving without a drivers’ license. Raymond Sanchez, 25, of Bakersfield, was arrested for driving with a suspended drivers’ license.

A 17 year old Bear Valley female was placed into the custody of the county after an altercation involving a knife between her and another juvenile. Charges for assault with a deadly weapon are pending.
Lost bikes

We found a couple of owners lost bicycles that we had in our property room, but still have more bikes that need to go back home. If you’re missing a bike, feel free to contact Tech Officer Howe and let him know what you’re missing. He is available Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Spring is here, but that won’t keep the snow from coming a few more times. Stay prepared for winter weather. We’ve had significant snow as late as May, so you never know.

Speed limits are set by state code

Recently there have been concerns raised regarding the speed limits that have been set on several roads within the Golden Hills area near Tehachapi. These roads are currently maintained by the Kern County Roads Department. These speed limits have been determined by the Roads Department and been adopted by Ordinance of the Kern County Board of Supervisors. Following is an explanation of the procedure for establishing speed limits on roadways.

The procedure that we use for establishing speed limits on County maintained roads is dictated by the California Vehicle Code. Section 22349 of the Vehicle Code states that the speed limit on a two-lane, undivided road is 55 miles per hour. Section 22352 states that the speed limit on a highway other than a State Highway is 25 mph within a “business or residence district”. A business district is defined as that portion of a roadway along which 50 percent or more is occupied by buildings in use for business.

A residence district is defined as that portion of a highway along which there are thirteen or more residences along one side of the roadway or 16 or more residences along both sides within one quarter of a mile. Because of the lot sizes within Golden Hills, very few roads meet the definition of residence districts. Unfortunately, Red Apple Avenue, Westwood Boulevard, and White Pine Drive do not meet the requirement for consideration as a residence district.

However, Section 22358 of the Vehicle Code allows a decrease of the speed limit from the aforementioned 55 mph on local (County maintained) roads. This speed limit must be based on an “engineering and traffic survey”. If the speed limit is not based on an engineering and traffic survey, the speed limit would constitute a “speed trap” and could not be enforced by the California Highway Patrol. The engineering and traffic survey is defined as “a survey of highway and traffic conditions in accordance with methods determined by the Department of Transportation for use by state and local authorities.”

The study must include consideration of prevailing speeds, accident records and conditions not readily apparent to a driver. An engineering and traffic study must be completed for the roadway every five years.

To determine the prevailing speed as required by the Department of Transportation, the County must perform a speed survey. To do this, we measure and record the speed of a sampling of vehicles using a radar gun. These speed surveys are performed during off-peak periods, when the traffic is flowing more freely.

From this data, we determine the 85th percentile speed, which is the speed that 85 percent of motorists drive at or below. Per the methods determined by the Department of Transportation, the speed limit is then established at the 5 mph increment below this 85th percentile. In addition to prevailing speed, the Roads Department performs a visual inspection of the roadway to determine if there are conditions not readily apparent to motorists. Examples of conditions such as this are vertical curves, narrow travel lanes or large numbers of pedestrians.

We also review the accident rate along the road to determine if it is higher than expected when compared to a similar type of roadway. If either the accident history is high or there exist conditions not readily apparent to motorists, the speed limit based on 85th percentile speed could be dropped an additional 5 mph. If the speed limit is not determined in the above manner, any tickets issued by the California Highway Patrol will be dismissed from court.

The speed limits on Westwood Boulevard, Red Apple Avenue, White Pine Drive as well as Mariposa Drive have been established in this manner. It is understood that many residences do not concur with the established speed limits; however, the only way to get drivers to slow down is by enforcement by the California Highway Patrol. Artificially lowered speed limits that cannot be enforced will not reduce the speeds of motorists.

Another recent concern has been illegal passing over double yellow striping or within two-way turn lanes. This is also an enforcement issue. The California Highway Patrol has been contacted regarding this concern as well as the concern with speeding.

Prospective new homes could double the city’s population

According to Tehachapi City Manager Jason Caudle, there are 2,500 new homes in the regulatory and construction “pipeline” in the city. Assuming they all will be completed and occupied, they could add more than 6,000 people to the city’s population, based on U.S Census data concerning average family size.

One development that has just gone into the site development stage is Orchard Glen by KB Home, a builder already involved in home construction elsewhere in the City of Tehachapi. Orchard Glen is located across South Dennison Road from Tehachapi High School and will consist of 207 lots, said Todd Spitler, Director of Local Government Affairs for KB Home. Ranging in size from about 2,000 square feet to 3500 square feet and placed on lots of 8,000 square feet, Orchard Glen’s homes will be what many housing professionals would consider upscale. Spitler said price quotes are not yet available.

Actual home construction is scheduled for July, he said, with sales to start in September.

City Manager Caudle said KB Home will improve Dennison Road in the vicinity of Orchard Glen. The improvement will include a landscaped median. Other aesthetic features will be two small entrance parks at the north and south ends of the development encompassing a total of 55,000 square feet.

Traffic from Orchard Glen will not enter and exit directly onto Dennison Road, Caudle said. According to the tract map, traffic will first emerge on an expansion of Pinon Street on the south side and a new street to be constructed on the north side.

News unveils new Web site

At the Tehachapi News, we strive to be a comprehensive newspaper, giving our readers a real sense of our community and its residents. Now, our Web site, www.tehachapinews.com, will be able to better serve as another portal into our community and bring residents and fellow Tehachapi lovers closer together.

Unlike our previous site, the new one offers more features. Now, all articles, events, letters, columns and photos can be found on the site. With our new flexibility, we’ll be able to post stories as they are completed, even before they publish in the paper. As readers, you will be able to post comments on all stories on the site, as well as e-mail them to friends.

We also offer discussion topics, inviting you to comment on specific issues
pertaining to our town.

Another feature is “Meet Your Neighbors.” When you submit articles, photos and events, you will be asked to register once, and have the opportunity to tell us all about your interests, include a photo, share favorite Web sites, and find other neighbors with like interests.

With the launch of the new site, we are also changing the way news, letters and photos are submitted to us. Instead of e-mailing the information, go to the Web site and click on the “Spread Your News” icon at the top of the page. If you haven’t registered, we’ll ask you to so we know how to contact you if we have any questions.

Then, choose what you’d like to contribute (an article, letter, photo or community event). Another page will pop up and all you have to do is fill in the blanks for the title, byline and information. You can even add photos or logos to your submission. When sending photos, be sure to use at least 200 dpi to ensure the best quality for our print edition. When you’re done, click on the “Submit” button.

A Tehachapi News editor will review your contribution and e-mail you when it has been published on tehachapinews.com. We include as many contributions as possible in our print edition.

So, go to tehachapinews.com and take a look around, register, and send us some news. We’d love to hear from you!

Peter made a promise

On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter said that, even if all the other disciples reject Jesus, he never would. Peter made this promise to show how committed he was to standing firm on his faith that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior.

Unfortunately, Peter was not able to keep his promise. In fact, it was later that same night that Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.

Peter was bold in his confession of faith when he said to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of God." And Peter was courageous when he saw Jesus walking on the water and he stepped out on the water himself.

But Peter was not always able to follow through with his bold statements.

He did not understand God's plan to have Jesus pay for our sins and he did not stay with Jesus after our Lord had been arrested.

Sometimes we act a lot like Peter. We boldly confess that we believe in Jesus as our Savior, but then we are unable to put our faith into practice.

When we do not understand what God is doing, we may choose to doubt God's Word and fall away from His will. When we are surrounded by the concerns and temptations of this world, we may decide to take the easy way out instead of serving God.

After Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times, he was given forgiveness.

Jesus came to Him and assured him that he would still be able to serve in God's kingdom.

Now, although we have sinned, we know that God comes to us with grace and forgiveness. God will encourage us to trust Him and serve Him again.

Peter went on to become a great leader in the Christian Church. May God lead us to serve Him with joy.

The meaning of Easter

Each church that will celebrating Easter is invited to submit a small statement about the signifcance of Easter to its particular denomination.

Send statements of 100 words or less to cholmes@tehachapinews.com

Carden completes yearly reading program

Students at Carden School of Tehachapi celebrated their reading goals by being honored at a recent assembly and winning a special viewing of current movies at the Hitching Post Theaters. Every year students in kindergarten through eighth grade are challenged to keep a reading log with an assigned goal for the months of October, November, December and January.

At the conclusion of the reading program, readers that meet their goals are assured a higher standard of reading. The top three readers in each grade level were awarded Barnes and Noble gift certificates. Students in grades four through eight who read over 5,000 pages during the reading program, were also presented with a $20 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble.

In Memory of Patricia A. Stines

Patricia A Stines, 58, resident of Bishop for five years, was born in Pasadena on Nov. 21, 1947 and passed away on April 1 at Washoe Medical Center in Reno, Nev.

Patricia’s family lost a loving wife, sister, daughter and mother who was enjoying one of her many passions, bicycling, when she passed away. Patricia has now moved on to live with those who have left us, to warm their spirits with her smile and loving character. Her family is saddened that she left them so early but we receive strength that her influence and love will continue eternally.

Patricia is survived by her husband, Sto Stines of Bishop; sons, Ian and his wife Suzy Tervet of Pasadena; and Garrett Stines of Tehachapi; daughter, Heather Peterson of Tehachapi; parents, Richard and Anne Conrad of Bishop; sister, Dee Dee and her husband Doug Grafius of Independence; and grandchildren, Chelsea, Nicole, Lauren, Ethan, Evan and Micah.

Patricia was laid to rest on April 8 at the East Line Street Cemetery in Bishop.

Donations in memory of Patricia may be made to IMAH, 371 S. Warren St., Bishop CA 93514.

Senior co-ed softball

Bear Valley Springs senior co-ed softball will begin in April. The only requirements is that applicants be 55 years or older. We welcome players from anywhere in the Tehachapi area. Gate passes will be offered.

If you want to have some fun, get some exercise and meet new people, come on out. This is not a league function and if you can’t catch, throw, run or bat, you will fit right in. If you want a little fun, come and participate.

The first meeting will be April 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bear Valley baseball park across from the fire station.

For more information or for a gate pass, call Paul or Diane Brimer at 821-1777 and leave a message.

Bouquet: Thank you McDonald’s for McTeacher Night

Golden Hills Elementary School would like to express our sincere appreciation to McDonald’s, GHES staff and everyone from the community who came to support McTeacher Night at McDonald’s on April 7. McDonald’s donated 20 percent of the night’s profits to Golden Hills Elementary which came to $822. The money donated is greatly appreciated and will be used to fund GHES projects.

Thanks so much and have a happy Easter.

Longer tax day hours at two Kern County P.O.s

Because tax day, April 15, falls on a Saturday this year, the deadline for mailing taxes will be extended to Monday, April 17.

Although the Tehachapi branch of the United States Post Office will keep their regular hours (8:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m.) the following Kern county post offices will extend their hours to accommodate last minute tax mailings by collecting and postmarking mail later than usual.

Bakersfield Post Office
3400 Pegasus Drive
will stay open until 8 p.m on April 17.

Tulare Post Office
340 E. Tulare Ave.
will remain open until 12 midnight.

Tips from the postal service

* Be sure proper postage is applied. First Class postage is 39 cents for a weight of one ounce, or about three sheets of paper. Each additional ounce is 24 cents.

* If an IRS address label or envelope is not used, make sure the complete IRS address and zip code is printed on the envelope.

* Include a complete return address and zip code on the envelope used for mailing.

* To avoid the rush, mail early in the day.

For more information, visit www.usps.com.

A winter and spring challenge with grizzly

Tehachapi now has two of its youth attending school in San Luis Obispo since Jan. 18. They are attending the Grizzly Youth Academy (GYA) on the National Guard Base at Camp San Luis Obispo.

What is Grizzly Youth Academy? It is a program implemented by the California National Guard as an intervention program for at-risk youth to gain the discipline and life skills necessary to become a productive member of their communities and society, adding value to America.

This program was established in 10 states in 1994 and expanded to California in 1998. There are now 30 such facilities throughout 25 states and Puerto Rico. GYA is primarily funded through the Federal government and State of California. Additional funding is obtained through grants and donations. There is no charge to the family.

The academy’s goal is to educate young adults through a non-traditional, military structured learning environment that addresses life, leadership and academic skills while improving self-esteem, pride and confidence. The Youth Challenge program is for youth 16 to 18 years old who are willing to take on the responsibility to change their lives. The program is designed to take these at risk kids who are either a high school dropout or at-risk of dropping out and give them a second chance or in many cases their last chance to prove to themselves that they are a valuable member of our society.

The Challenge program is a volunteer program and is in no way an alternative sentencing program. The applicant must be motivated and committed to turning his or her life around through this second chance. The program consists of three phases: a two-week pre-challenge phase; a 20-week residential challenge phase; and a 12 month post-residential phase.

During the two-week pre-challenge phase participants who, because of poor behavior or attitude, are found to be insufficiently motivated to complete the program are dismissed and sent home. The second phase, residential challenge, is for the next 20 weeks. This phase most resembles a military boarding school, not to be confused with boot camp.

Cadets live on base in military barracks, eat in the base dining facility and attend school on the base. It provides the cadets with educational, emotional and physical training based on the following eight core components: leadership and followship; community service (over the last six years Grizzly Academy has provided over 90,000 hours of community service to the County of San Luis Obispo); job skills; educational excellence; responsible citizenship; life coping skills; health and hygiene; and physical fitness.

The cadets proudly wear uniforms as an honor for making it thus far, follow daily schedules, attend classes and participate in other developmental activities designed to strengthen their minds and bodies.

The academics are supplemented with 10 off-site field trips during the course of this phase. These destinations vary depending on the curriculum being taught. Field trips have included museums, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, local colleges and universities, Hearst Castle and live theater performances.

The third phase, the post-residential phase, is a one-year mentorship period completed in the cadet’s community with the guidance and assistance of a screened, trained and matched mentor. The mentor’s job is to provide advice and assistance, regular monitoring of the graduate’s status, progress in obtaining employment and or pursuing further education and to provide other support within the means of the program.

GYA can be one of the most challenging, rewarding experiences of a young person’s life. GYA offers a rare, second chance for at-risk youth to get their education and life back on track, by preparing them to acquire a G.E.D., High School Diploma or return to their High School equipped to succeed and to pursue further education and job skills. This program can help the cadets earn up to 55 high school credits, transferable to their school in the district they live in. Some 1,600 cadets have completed this program and gone on to lead successful lives.

The next class will begin in July. All interested youth, between the ages of 16 to 18, that are up for an incredible life altering Challenge should check out GYA.

For more information, visit www.ngycp.org.ca/.

Groundbreaking for new Ag Facility

Tehachapi High School principal Mike Arredondo welcomed students and guests to the groundbreaking of the new agricultural facility at the school, thanking all of the people who worked hard for many years to make it happen.

Speakers included Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Marian Stephens, school board member Curtis Ward and FFA advisor Rick Cotta. Each thanked the community for the dedication and support they had received over the years, saying that FFA was a program the entire community could be proud of.

Julie Bolterman and Christy Leishman, members of the Agriculture Boosters Club spoke and reminded the audience that Tehachapi FFA celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. They went on to say, “Fifty years ago, many of the FFA students lived on ranches and farms and FFA classes helped teach students how to make the family businesses more profitable. Today, few students live on farms. It is more important than ever for the program to succeed.”

Local soldiers visit United Arab emirates

Navy Airman Keith G. Boeckman, son of Sandra L. McDaniel of Tehachapi and Bruce N. Boeckman of Bakersfield and Navy Petty Officer second class Rebecca A. Livesay, a 1999 graduate of Tehachapi High School and their fellow shipmates assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan made a port visit to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates while on a scheduled deployment as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) seven.

The port visit gave Livesay's unit a chance to experience a different culture and strengthen the relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the coalition of maritime forces. CSG-7 has been conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the fifth fleet area of operations.

MSO sets the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment and supports the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. MSO denies international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other materials.

Carriers like Ronald Reagan are deployed throughout the world to maintain U.S. presence and provide rapid response in time of crisis. They serve as a highly visible deterrent to would-be aggressors and are equipped with the most versatile and powerful weapons and aircraft available.
Livesay joined the Navy in February 2002.

For more information on the deployment and high resolution photographs, visit USS Ronald Reagan Web site at http://www.navy.mil.

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