Do you smell what the Daily Brief is cookin’?
News
- Another vague “inappropriate” relationship between teacher and student: This time it’s at West Ranch High, and as usual, the Hart District isn’t naming names and has placed the teacher on administrative leave while it investigates. The news follows allegations at two other high schools in April and May -thought to be Canyon High and Golden Valley High- where a teacher and a counselor were both investigated for having inappropriate contact with students. Is the singles scene in the SCV really this lousy? Link
- Powerful bankruptcy law firm giving advice to LandSource: A Chicago based law firm that is handling “six of the 12 largest US bankruptcies by debt” is giving restructuring advice to LandSource in the wake of its default on payments for the Newhall Ranch property, Bloomberg reports today. It’s only a short paragraph in an otherwise long article on the bankruptcy industry, but it’s the latest clue in the LandSource/LNR/Lennar/CalPers/Newhall Land saga that started way back in April and comes amid the continuing housing crunch and credit crisis. Link
- California gas price average now $4.24, people are starting to make changes: Gas prices in CA are second to none in the United States and transit ridership is rising as motorists leave their keys at home, according to the LA Times in a Column One story today. “You’re seeing more Americans trying to work from home, finding jobs that are closer to their homes or moving to new homes that are closer to their jobs. These are fundamental changes,” one expert said. Link
- State says “Paper water” can be counted: Water beat reporter Jim Holt has been following the progress of an Assembly Bill that would have “precluded the [water] supplier from relying on groundwater as a supply earmarked for any proposed development project.” That bill was modified last week by a state water committee which means that developers and water agencies can now count available ground water before it’s cleaned. Holt spoke to local activist Cam Noltemeyer who told The Signal that she not only doesn’t drink SCV water, but she’d “prefer not to bathe in it” (ROFL) and also talked with CLWA chief Dan Masnada who insisted that SCV water is safe. Link
- Tomorrow’s Headline: Antonovich wins reelection: Today is California’s primary contest in which (few?) voters will go to the polls to vote on candidates for various primary contests, judges, and propositions. In LA County, there’s a big supervisor’s race in the 2nd District, but our own 5th District supe, Mike Antonovich, is facing off against a 30 year old warehouse worker named Stephen Hinze who’s running in the Party for Socialism and Liberation and wants to make LA County a “sanctuary for all immigrants.” Parimal Rohit talked to both of them and has the story here.
- SCV Chamber Newsletter : The Chamber’s June newsletter is on the web and this month there’s some coverage and renderings of Phase 4 of the City’s Santa Clarita Sports Complex expansion as well as an op/ed from Chamber CEO Larry Mankin who says that while office and retail vacancies are on the rise, Santa Clarita would still be the envy of most communities in America. “When listening to or reading information released by the media, one might think our valley would be in a business depression. In fact, we are looking at….acceptable vacancy rates when comparing growing markets in America to the SCV. Clearly this valley has been able to absorb speculative office space,” he concludes. Also there’s a rundown of tourism numbers relating to sports events in Santa Clarita on page 1 (see if you can spot the typo). Link
- Smyth, Strickland use ATM prop to fight taxes in Ventura: Santa Clarita’s Assemblyman Cameron Smyth appeared alongside 19th Senate Republican hopeful Tony Strickland in front of a “12 foot gray and black inflatable automated teller machine” at a Ventura County Courthouse to fight against possible California state tax increases. No quote from Smyth, but Strickland -who if he wins in November would represent a small portion of the SCV- had this to say regarding how tax increases might impact Californians: “A lot of people can’t make ends meet…People have to choose between a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk.” Link The pair are asking Californians to sign an anti-tax petition.
- GM May shut down Hummer line, what would become of dealerships? The struggling motor company GM announced today that it is closing four truck and SUV plants in the US, Canada, and Mexico as sales of fuel-inefficient vehicles plummet as gas prices rise. GM also said “the iconic Hummer brand may be discontinued,” according to the LA Times. Santa Clarita, land of the giant stomper truck and the pimped out Hummer H2s has one Hummer dealership, Parkway Hummer which opened a few years ago on Magic Mountain Parkway.
- California hand-free law goes into effect next month: You’ll no longer be allowed to hold your mobile phone to your head and talk while driving after July 1. If caught, police can fine you $20 for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Sales of Bluetooth and other hands-free devices are spiking ahead of the new law. Said one retailer: ““I just gotta thank the cops for the sales.” Link
- Runner and Smyth on prisons: Build more! Paleo-conservative George Runner will have a proposition on this November’s ballot that would increase law enforcement spending by almost a billion dollars and would incarcerate more criminals, including juveniles. But there’s no plan to pay for the proposition if it passes in light of California’s huge budget deficit. Nevertheless, the Lancaster Senator who represents some of the SCV was on KHTS yesterday advocating the construction of more prisons to help solve California’s prison overpopulation problem. Jon Dell has that report.
Misc
- Be Cool to my School event ends: Bridgeport Elementary, Castaic Middle School, and Saugus High school win the contest and $1000. Over all, parents did 126 test drives of vehicles and purchased 19 vehicles. Link
- Buck’s challenger blogs on Iraq, gas prices, PTSD and other topics: Calling the Iraq War “McKeon’s war” and liberally sprinkling exclamation marks in every other sentence, Barstow-based Democrat Jacquese Conaway has a new blog post on her official campaign site. *sigh*
- The two sisters behind Stone Fire grill: People in the SCV either love Stone Fire Grill or they hate it; despite the Yelp rating of 3.5 stars, that’s the reaction I get when I suggest dining there (I happen to love Stone Fire). Anyway, the Daily News has an interesting story on the two sisters who founded the successful restaurant in Valencia 10 years ago and have expanded but so far resisted the temptation to franchise the operation. mmm Chicken wrap