- Lawyer Zinnanti "Filing Charges" against Jack McClellan: Anthony D. Zinnanti, the Valencia attorney who won an injunction barring Self-proclaimed pedophile Jack McClellan from California areas where children congregate, will reportedly file charges against McClellan for making unspecified "personal attacks" on Zinnanti's daughter on the internet. That according to KATU 2 News, in Portland Oregon, where McClellan settled after being forced out of California in early September. Zinnanti told the television station:"There is no more....peace and love and let's understand each other. No. It's over. He's going down hard." The dispute apparently stems from an internet posting allegedly made by McClellan about Zinnanti's 13 year old daughter. On his new website -which describes children's areas in Portland- McClellan calls Zinnanti "self-aggrandizing" and disputes the allegation. KATU 2 News
- Fire victim wins $3.6 million for 2002 blaze: Remember the Copper Canyon fire in 2002, a blaze that was inadvertently started by steel workers constructing a water tower near Magic Mountain? The fire consumed over 20,000 acres north of Saugus and forced the evacuation of some 2000 people in June of 2002. According to a post at ValleyNews.com, one of the people who suffered "damages" during the fire has been awarded $3.6 million after winning a lawsuit against the company that was building the water tank. Link
- More on Council News: Katie Geyer has a report on the baseball stadium item and a report on the facilities impact fee to be levied against developers for the expansion of the Sheriff's station. In the latter article, Geyer reports that the city has been in talks with County officials to convert "the block bordered by Citrus Street and Magic Mountain Parkway to a large civic center that would include some private sector facilities." Private sector facilities?
- Buck Mckeon: "Deaths are pretty serious." Our Congressman is the lead Republican on the House Education and Labor Committee, and that was his response to some testimony from parents who's children have died or been injured over the years in privately-run rehabilitation and treatment camps around the country. One set of parents described how their 16 year old son, sent to one such camp in 1994, died of a perforated ulcer after hiking in the rugged Utah mountains for days. McKeon was surprised by the testimony and a report detailing abuse allegations and said it "boggles my mind." Deseret News
- COC Teaches women to kick bal^H^H ass The College is offering a free safety and self-defense course for women in the wake of several area rapes in the last year. "We do things like role play and teach moves for them to know how to make a quick hit and get out," the college's director of campus safety told the Signal'sChristi Anne Corpus. Link
- Joe Messina answers questions on TITTS Forum: Some readers on "Tell It," the Signal's online forum, engaged in an interesting bit of citizen journalism themselves yesterday, peppering Hart Board candidate Joe Messina with questions on several controversial topics. Of particular interest to some TITTS users:Would Joe Messina, a leader of a local evangelical businessman's group and lead sponsor of the controversial Mayors Prayer Breakfast, support the teaching of evolution in the Hart District's biology and science classes? "State law mandates that it be taught in school, so I willuphold the law," Messina said, but hinted that he would also support the teaching of other theories on the origin of life, the earth, the nubmer 42 and all things therein. "I believe that since there are many theories taught in school, why wouldn't we teach others? Is that not fair?" he asked. He also touched on the $90,000 PR campaign proposal presented to the Hart Board in August by Tim Whyte and Scott Wilk, saying it "should have never made it on the agenda," and said that he would be opposed to teachers leading students in prayer. Chew on his answers and reader's reaction here, then go to the debate tonight and engage.
- Hart vs. Canyon, tomorrow night: Despite the growth in the SCV and all the new high schools built in the last ten years, the Canyon/Hart rivalry is still the best. Andrew Barlam has a great article in today's Signal detailing a Hart player the Herringtons are hyping in advance of tomorrow night's match-up.
- Giuliani Calls in to KHTS: Former Mayor of New York and GOP Presidentical hopeful Rudy Giuliani called into KHTS this morning at precisely 6:10am, according to the station's website. No word yet on what was discussed.
- Truck accident on I-5 Traps SClaritans: Curt Kendall of Valencia was furious last week after spending three hours in his car and only traveling a few miles in the wake of an early morning truck accident on Interstate 5 near Roxford. In a Letter to the Editor today, Kendall complains about the state of the I-5 through the Newhall pass, especially the number three and four lanes which he says are "virtually unusable by autos due to broken concrete," and says that the "50 percent" of Valley residents who commute out of the SCV aren't well served by the 14 and 5 freeways. "A Bypass connector should be built from the 14 Freeway over to the eastbound 210 as an escape route from the numerous I-5 problems," Kendall writes. Interesting that he brings that up. I seem to recall some discussion last year on a proposal to build a massive tunnel under the SCV's southern mountains connecting the 14 to the Sylmar area, bypassing the Newhall pass altogether. I'll see if I can dig it up. Kendall is correct about the vulnerability of the SCV's freeway infrastructure, and as the SCV continues to grow, I'm not aware of any plans to address future transportation infrastructure (save for the pipe-dream high speed train systems). What do you think?
- Where's the lobbyist item coverage? It's Thursday and no one has written even a brief story about the agenda item discussed at Tuesday night's City Council meeting that would force city hall lobbysits to register with the city, pay a fee, and disclose who (or what) they are working for. In my view, that item was the most newsworthy on the entire agenda, so where's the coverage? I want quotes from council members, audience reaction, context on the debate, and information on what's next. Why do I have to point this out?
- Baseball stadium: I'm all for creating great parks facilities for the SCV, but something about this Big League Dreams stadium proposal is odd. Councilmember Ferry says it will benefit the city more than the marathon and the Amgen Bike Race, but do we even know if there is demand for it? There seems to be an idea that "if we build it, they will come", but who exactly are we targeting to use the stadium? The Hart Pony League? What will happen to their fields near the Benz dealership? Even if we do land some regional youth baseball tournament, what will the stadium do the rest of the year? And what of the Golden Baseball League, the minor league franchise operation that was thinking of developing a Santa Clarita team? As recently as April, the Signal reported that GBL was ready to expand to the SCV but was awaiting a location to play in. That sounds to me like something we should pursue, yet, here we are six months later and we're prepared to build a $30 million baseball park system for youth only?
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How not to interview a City Councilperson: A reporter for a "Daily Show" styled Norwegian faux-news program got to sit down with New York City Councilman James Oddo recently to discuss US politics and the presidential election. Big deal right? Well, Oddo didn't know that the Norwegian reporter was there for humor, not serious news, and he straight flips out on her. LOTS OF PROFANITY so don't say I didn't warn you.
Daily Brief – October 11, 2007