It’s been so chilly here lately, at least in the evenings. We almost turned on the heat last night. That’s fine with me though because in a matter of weeks the old SCV furnace will be turned on once again. But no matter the temperature, your Daily Brief is ready with the latest SCV news.
News
- LA Media finally takes note of Landsource/Newhall Ranch story: Better three weeks late than never I suppose: on Friday, the Los Angeles Business Journal reported that the future of the 21,000 home Newhall Ranch project is “uncertain” in light of Newhall Land parent company Landsource’s inability to make payments on a $1.1 billion loan. A Landsource bankruptcy has been expected for weeks and the best reporting on this has come from the Wall Street Journal and some real estate trade publications. Here’s the way the LABJ put the potential effect of a Landsource bankruptcy on Newhall Ranch: “A bankruptcy filing could place some 48,000 acres of property owned by Landsource -including the 12,000 acre proposed Newhall Ranch- in the hands of creditors.” One day after the LABJ story, the Times finally picked up on the intrigue and spoke with our very own Marlee Lauffer, who told the Times that while everything is up in the air Newhall Land is “continuing to focus on our day-to-day activities.” So where’s this story going dear reader? Predictions?
- Wiley neighbors rally against Avenue project:Some 100 Newhall residents and former City Councilman TimBen Boydston rallied on Saturday against the controversial Avenues Project, a proposed 37 acre mixed-use and high(er?) density project on the old mule ranch wedged between Wiley Canyon road and Interstate 5 in Newhall, according to The Signal. The project -sporting twin 12 story towers, a hotel, and 800 residencies- is a “travesty” according to Boydston, who advised members of the WethePeople and Calgrove Corridor Coalitition to attend Tuesday’s City Council meeting in mass. “This is not Santa Clarita and not why my family moved here 40 years ago and not why your family might have moved here yesterday,” Boydston said. Massive early opposition was key to killing the MRF; will a show of force at Tuesday’s Council meeting have the same effect in Newhall? I’ll be there to find out. Tammy Marashlian reports. Also, Fox 11 LA calls it a “mega-project” and has a video report.
- More from the bizarre case of the CHP officer and Valencia Jogger: You thought the final chapter in this strange story had already been written; former City Councli candidate and CHP vet Dwight McDonald was convicted attacking a Valencia jogger named Steven Gilbert in 2007 and was ordered to serve some 60 days in jail. Well, on Saturday, Signal Editor Josh Premako reported that a restraining order placed on McDonald had been dissolved and a new one placed on Gilbert, which ordered the jogger to stay at least 100 yards away from McDonald and his family. Premako’s report is here.
- After the strike, gold for City filming: The writer’s strike may have impacted filming in the SCV last fall, but Hollywood returned in a big way in April. During that month, the City of Santa Clarita issued some 64 percent more filming permits (31 total) than in April 2007 (19) and added a whole list of new shows that are being filmed in whole or in part in Santa Clarita. There’s an HBO show called “1%” which is being filmed by Santa Clarita Studios, the new (and awful) Knight Rider series, and the attractively named “Manure”, starring Billy Bob Thornton. All this filming helps pump some $20 million into the SCV economy every year, the city says. KHTS has the report.
- Buck McKeon wants space shuttle orbiter retired to Antelope Valley: The Congressman who’s district encompasses the SCV and Antelope Valley (and much of the state) will work with California’s Congressional Delegation to bring a space shuttle orbiter to what might be a new Antelope Valley Aviation and Aerospace museum. The report comes by way of Aero-News.net, an aviation site, but it quotes the San Fernando Valley Business Journal. The 30 year old space shuttle program is due to be retired in 2010 and placing one in the AV is only fitting since all six shuttles were built in Palmdale’s Plant 42. Out with the mule museum, in with air ‘n space!
- More on Hart reassignments: I should apologize for being inaccurate in my Friday brief. I said the 30 student assistants at the Hart District were being “laid off,” when in reality some will have the option to be reassigned. The Daily News reports that at least 10 of the proposed 44 people affected by the changes will not be reassigned, however. Anyway, here’s the Daily News article with most of what you know but a few additional details.
- Cam Smyth, the eco-friendly Republican? The San Francisco Chronicle reports that our homegrown state Assemblyman, Cam Smyth, has introduced legislation that would forbid HOAs and “common interest developments” from prohibiting homeowners from installing solar energy systems on their houses. The bill is aimed mostly at condominium groups. The bill, AB 1892, will be heard before the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. I’m all for it; I’d love to place photo-voltaic cells all over the roof of my condo and stop sending Edison a huge check each month. SFGate article, AB 1892 details
- Vagabond diner diarist hits the SCV: Fascinating piece from Josh Premako who tells the tale of a self-described son of a ” 70s flower child gypsy” who’s spent the last several months driving across America and eating in old fashioned diners. He hit our very own Way Station recently and Premako interviewed him. mmmmm Way Station
Blogs, Miscellaneous and Opinion
- The SCV’s dirty little secret: William S. Hart was as gay as Brokeback Mountain: A clever blogger, heretofore unknown in the annals of SCVTalk, recently visited our valley’s Historical Society in connection with a 3rd grade historical scavenger hunt. He took in all the history and concludes that the Docents at the Historical Society are liars. Here’s what he says about SCV father William S Hart: “I mean come on folks…living with your spinster sister in a remote mansion on-top of a hill, great fashion and decorating sense, short-marriage, no other women in your life, and your best friend, aside from a horse, is a bachelor painter guy from Montana…”Broke-back Mountain” ring a bell?” More SCV revisionist history
- Jay Harn dishes on The Signal’s new look: It turns out the Signal’s font/design refresh was due to the fact that the Creekside staff at TMS finally got new Windows PCs, according to Publisher Jay Harn in a blog post on The Signal’s website. “The reason for the change is that we are updating our computer systems and switching from some very out-dated Macintosh computers to brand new Dell PCs. Because of this huge change, we found that we had to convert a lot of our technology and so we felt that it was a good time to “update” our look,” he writes. He also talks about the Signal’s new Editorial Board, which decides “the opinion of this newspaper in its “editorials” or political endorsements, both online and in print.” Welcome to the Dark Side of WIntel muhahaahah
- Machine Politics in SCV: Interesting Sunday LTE in The Signal. Valencia resident Tom Pedersen analyzes the recent City Council election results and concludes that “machine politics, with all its warts, has entered our fair city.” He goes on to slam Laurie Ender by saying that she was simply a front for developer interests in the SCV and defines machine politics as “the organization of effort by seemingly separate entities, high flow of money, illegal behavior, unethical behavior by elected officials and negative and misleading campaign ads.” All that flowed to Ender’s campaign, according to Pedersen, but he ends his LTE by saying she has a opportunity to surprise the SCV by being active in city matters like TimBen Boydston was. Link
- Some Signal readers don’t have Tivo or onscreen programming guides: One Signal reader is comically out of date and says he’s not happy with the Signal’s “too big” TV guide. Jay Harn reponds.
- Bruce McFarland not happy with proposed City Code of Ethics & Conduct: The City’s proposed code of ethics will be discussed at tomorrow’s City Council meeting, but Bruce McFarland says it’s no good right off the bat. “This sounds good, but the policy does not establish even one additional regulation for city folks to follow,” he writes in an op/ed in today’s Signal, while defining the word “Pulskamperie as “the ability to make people believe you addressed a problem while actually doing nothing.” He wants people to show up at tomorrow’s Council Meeting. Link
- Why Dave, are you referring to me as a communist? So here I was reading West Ranch Town Council President Dave Bossert’s post on supporting the “Be Cool to your School” test-drive event when all of the sudden, he launched into a rant about the “communist house frau and her lap dog JW, the SCV yapper.” If that’s in reference to me, I want to know who’s lap I’m sitting in, and is she hot? Anyway, Bossert says the test-drive event is a win/win for the community and that you should go down to Creekside and test-drive to your heart’s content because it helps the schools. Link