Jessica Martin took this photo in her yard in Bear Valley Springs of a male Lesser Goldfinch on her sunflowers.

Out of the ashes, we shall rise, say Tehachapians on what they did during the quarantine. Local folks have been whiling away the hours getting in touch with their creative sides, and revealing there is no limit to their imagination.

As a writer, there are so many obstacles that can get in your way. It can be challenging to carve out quiet time to sit at your desk and compose your thoughts. Maybe you don’t even have a desk or a computer of your own, so you find yourself clearing off a space at the family kitchen table to…

Restaurants in the city of Tehachapi have sprouted umbrellas and outdoor seating on city sidewalks and parking lots in response to closure of interior seating due to COVID-19.

Send your images of life in the community to editorial@tehachapinews.com with a caption and your name. They will appear in a photo gallery online, and we will do our best to publish them in print.

Al Crisalli Jr. took this photo of a young Red-tailed hawk perch-hunting from the vantage point of a power pole. Utility poles like this one provide a convenient perch for raptors, especially in areas where trees are sparse or non-existent, but they also pose the risk of electrocution for bi…

One of the most interesting insects in the Tehachapi Mountains is large and predatory, but has no venom or toxins to subdue its meal: Praying Mantids.

Beverly Lara had a vision for building a Little Red School House as a gathering place for her family celebrations. Located just off the Tehachapi/Woodford Road on the way to the Tehachapi Loop, it will undoubtedly become a local landmark.

Michael and Jo-Ann Hanna celebrated their 60 wedding anniversary on July 30. The couple have lived in Tehachapi since 1970, where they raised their three sons, Tony, Tim and Paul Hanna, all graduates of Tehachapi High School.

During the last half of July, the Tehachapi Rotary Club, now used to telephonic meetings, had some interesting speakers to close out the month.

Eric Williamson took this photo of a Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus) as it briefly paused on the side of a Blue Oak in West Golden Hills. In another month or two, Gray Squirrels will be busy collecting two of their most important food sources: acorns and pine nuts, both of which cont…

Ever since I was a little kid, I've been interested in old objects and artifacts from earlier eras, especially if they were used in the Tehachapi Mountains. These are tangible remnants of our history, and though the people who once used them are gone and the places have changed, these humble…

This time in history is forcing us to consider new methods of living. We are looking at life through a new lens regarding our children, our jobs, travel, and outings to restaurants. How do we send our children, our treasures, to school safely? How does a 7-year-old understand social distanci…

Ashley Whitmore began working for the city of Tehachapi as a part-time clerk when she was 23. Now, at 35, she is administrative manager/deputy city clerk and manager of Tehachapi Municipal Airport.

Congratulations to Mickaela Tyree and Wesley Schmidt, winners of the 2020 Thunder on the Mountain Car Show scholarships. In an effort to encourage students to enter careers in the skilled trades, TOM looks for scholarship applicants who can articulate their career goals and the plans they ha…

Ever since 2005, John Johnson of Tehachapi has been roasting coffee as a hobby.

One of my favorite things about living in the Tehachapi Mountains is the seasonal changes and appearances that occur in the natural world. Right now it is the height of summer, and one afternoon last week I went out with a camera to see what I might find.

Lloyd Herziger took this photo at the east end of the Tehachapi Valley of a Greater Roadrunner that had perched on his truck. The Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) is a member of the cuckoo family. It was given the name “Greater” to distinguish it from a smaller relative, the Less…

A very obnoxious weed with a pretty name is the Yellow Starthistle. This scourge on the land of the western U.S. was discovered in the Tehachapi area and Bear Valley Springs in 1990 by Chuck McCollough (founder of Triassic Legacy Winery).

Send your images of life in the community to editorial@tehachapinews.com with a caption and your name. They will appear in a photo gallery online, and we will do our best to publish them in print.

Send your images of life in the community to editorial@tehachapinews.com with a caption and your name. They will appear in a photo gallery online, and we will do our best to publish them in print.

The Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra has worked out a plan to re-open its concert schedule, which has been halted by safety concerns related to the COVID-19 virus.

Tehachapi native Chad Walker, stage manager for the soft rock duo Air Supply, writes his estimate of the number of acorns in the jar at the Kiwanis Club of Tehachapi booth at the Main Street Farmers Market July 9. Walker is a 2002 Tehachapi High School graduate. He has been with Los Angeles-…

Stephanie H. of Stallion Springs took this photo of a female Valley carpenter bee nectar-feeding on blossoms.

There are many creatures in the Tehachapi Mountains whose abundance is not reflected in the relative scarcity of sightings of them. A good example is the common Dusky-footed woodrat, which is found throughout the area but not often seen by people.

The world is living through a truly challenging time. No aspect of public life is the same as it was just a few months ago. Schools, churches, restaurants, stores of all kinds and, yes, entertainment venues have all been impacted by the current health crisis.

Our readers sent in images they took from Tehachapi and Bear Valley Springs Independence Day festivities.

Send your images of life in the community to editorial@tehachapinews.com with a caption and your name. They will appear in a photo gallery online, and we will do our best to publish them in print.

Randy Weinstein took this photo in Stallion Springs of a couple of Desert Cottontails (Sylvilagus audubonii).

The Tehachapi area recently lost one of our most experienced, respected and beloved citizens with the passing of George Sandy, 92, who died on April 29 following a fall and several weeks of hospitalization.

Mark your calendar! The Writers of Kern Annual Conference is coming on Saturday, July 18. This is a not-to-be missed event designed to inspire and support both established writers and would-be-authors.

COVID-19 cases have not impacted operations at Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley, but the “COVID effect” has deterred patients from using valuable and timely services.

Musician, music teacher, Tehachapi Symphony Orchestra concertmaster and retired Navy Capt. Gayel Pitchford will speak at the July 8 luncheon meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Tehachapi.

We need to bring good paying jobs to our district. This includes investing in our infrastructure and community. This is just one of the issues Kim Mangone is promoting as she campaigns to be elected to represent the 23nd US Congressional District. She spoke on a Zoom meeting of Tehachapi Mou…

Among the creatures who move fairly quietly and inconspicuously through the Tehachapi landscape are the rounded, big-bodied California Toads (Anaxyrus boreas halophilus).