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Thadd Turner, former long-time resident and business operator in Tehachapi, will receive the Western Writers of America Spur Award during the organization’s meeting in Cody, Wyo., on June 10.

Turner will be honored for his screenplay for the film drama “Miracle at Sage Creek,” which is being released May 30 in DVD format at 34,000 locations worldwide, according to Thadd’s father, Bob Turner of Tehachapi. In addition to writing the original screenplay for the movie, Thadd also served as producer, co-director, actor and stunt coordinator.

The movie features veteran Hollywood actor David Carradine. The cast also includes popular actors Michael Parks, Wes Studi and Buck Taylor. It is another product of Talmarc Productions, a Turner family company. The name Talmarc, which once was used for the Tehachapi Odd Fellows Hall on Curry Street just south of Tehachapi Boulevard, which Bob Turner owned for many years, consists of the first initials of Bob Turner’s children.

Talmarc Productions is a family enterprise in the old-fashioned sense.

Bob Turner, whose business experience spans more than a half century and dozens of successful enterprises, serves as senior mentor. Thadd is supported by his wife of 22 years, Cindy, who worked alongside her husband in the real estate business in Tehachapi and who now owns her own mortgage company in Arizona. Their daughter, Tanya Cheyenne Turner, is co-producer for Talmarc, regularly dropping her executive duties to apply makeup to the professional actors. Even 7-year-old Wyatt Turner gets into the act in a literal sense, playing a key role in “Miracle at Sage Creek.”

The announcement of Thadd’s award from Western Writers of America, Inc. states that since 1953, “the WWA Spur Awards have honored the best in Western Fiction, non-fiction and film scripting.” It continues, “We are honored to add you to this list of the most distinguished Western writers of the last half century.” The award will be presented on May 17 in the Cody Auditorium.

Thadd is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Writers Guild of America and Western Writers of America. His credits in the genre of Western literature and drama are extensive, including live theater, radio and living history reenactments in addition to several well-received books. His highly-acclaimed character portrayals include frontier Western scouts, lawmen, cowboys, outlaws, mountain men and cavalry from the time period of the late 1800s. He provided technical support for HBO’s hit series “Deadwood” in addition to other cable television productions. Thadd co-starred in one TV special entitled “Native Wisdom.”

Bob Turner said Thadd has become a scholar of Western history and provides expert advice for other filmmakers on such things as horses, tack, firearms and costuming. “Miracle at Sage Creek” is just one of more than a dozen screenplays by Thadd that have gone into production, Bob said. He is currently working on two additional Western films, “The Hard Ride” and “Meadow Lark Calling.”

Thadd’s writing portfolio includes many articles in such historical publications as True West, Wild West, Points West and Arabian Horse International and has provided historical research for the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody.

Thadd, a graduate of Tehachapi schools and Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, headquarters in Santa Fe, N.M., and on location. He lives at Hereford, Ariz., near Tombstone.