Always informative, sometimes controversial, and usually free of spelling errors, your Daily Brief is ready and waiting.
News
- No more fireworks at Magic Mountain: In past summers, you could almost set your watch to Magic Mountain’s nightly fireworks, which were visible throughout most of the Santa Clarita Valley. But no longer, today the Signal is reporting that Magic Mountain “will no longer hold its nightly fireworks show due to brush fire concerns.” It’s unknown whether the fireworks will ever return. Is the brush fire hazard greater this year than others? Link
- Governor declares drought, first time since 1991: The declaration by Governor Schwarzenegger will trigger “conservation and water-effeciency programs across California,” according to the Daily News. Part of the reason for the drought is that snowpack in the Sierras “which supplies much of the state’s water, was 67% of normal and runoff into California rivers was expected to be 55 percent of normal.” Schwarzenegger said local agencies must “recognize the severity of the crisis we faced,” and remarked that the drought may affect developments. Here in the SCV, CLWA officials in the past have said they can weather reductions/interruptions in State Water Project water, which is around 50% of the water the SCV has, by using reserves in Kern County. Daily News
- Union Pacific says “Not so fast” to LA-Sacto bullet train: The freight train operator and right-of-way owner says the $30 billion high speed rail system from LA to Sacramento might be unsafe when running close to freight trains. The system, which would carry passengers from LA to Sacramento in two hours plus change, might pass through but not stop in Santa Clarita if it ever gets built. Voters will decide whether the state can issue $10 billion in bonds for the project this November. The LA Times has a good story while the High Speed rail authority has built a sexy new website touting the proposed system.
- More details on weekend bank robbery, arrest in SCV: Parimal Rohit at The Signal went a little deeper into a story from last weekend in which an alleged Santa Barbara bank robber was tracked and arrested in Santa Clarita after a brief chase ended near COC. The suspect, David Patrick Thomas, was tracked to Valencia by an alert clerk at the bank in Santa Barbara who wrote down his license plate number. From there, the Feds, SBPD, and LASD SCV zeroed in on Thomas and another alleged accomplice. Take it away Parimal: “When agents, deputies and police officers arrived Saturday afternoon at the home, Thomas and one of his accomplices attempted to escape in his vehicle, yet both were caught moments later on Rockwell Canyon Road in front of College of the Canyons.” Two other Carpinteria men were also arrested in connection with the bank robbery, and authorities think Thomas may be responsible for 11 such robberies around So Cal. What’s not clear is whether Thomas -whom the feds apparently called the “Estranged Bandit” actually lived in Valencia.
- And other crime shorts: Honduran prescription thieves who allegedly hit at least six pharmacies in the SCV were arrested, and a motorist with 9 pounds of cocaine and $100k in cash on I-5 got caught after CHiPies noticed tinted windows.
- Voter turnout pathetically low: Only 16 percent of LA Count Voters and 22 percent of state voters went to the polls on Tuesday, the Signal reports.
- Hart High’s 60th Annual Commencement: The oldest high school in the SCV graduated its 60th senior class yesterday and among the grads was Michael Ewart of the Ewart family which suffered burns after a fire in their Valencia home a few years ago. The Signal notes that Hart has the highest population of Latinos of any high school in the SCV and that the ceremony had English and Spanish greetings. Link
- Santa Paula approves new 1,500 home development, model for SCV? Voters in the farming community of Santa Paula approved by an overwhelming 82% of the vote to allow a private company to develop some 541 acres on the eastern edge of the city into a mixed-use “master planned community that will contain over 1,500 homes, 150,00 sq. ft. of new office and retail space, 200,000 sq. ft. of new light industrial space,” new schools, police and fire stations as well as parks and open space. That whole big package along with annexation of the future community was packaged up as “Measure G” and voters there appear to want it by a big margin. Would direct voting on development projects ever work in Santa Clarita? Press release
Misc:
- Buck Newsmaker of the Week: The Congressman waits all of about 20 seconds after his introduction by Leon Worden to launch into his campaign-year spiel on how Democrats are responsible for the $4.50 gas you are pumping into your Hummer H2. He also talks a bit about the Cemex Bill (which the city wants you to support, btw) and his wilderness bill that would protect some areas of the eastern Sierras.
- Pondering the SCV Real Estate Market: Local realtor Neal Weichel says things are a bit odd. Inventory is down this year, which is generally a good thing, but 40% of Santa Clarita’s available homes are foreclosures and short sales. Speaking of those, foreclosures are the hottest selling property type in the SCV right now, while in Newhall, you practically have to sacrifice something to the gods of realty if your home is priced over $800k. Interesting post
- Word of Advice for new Signal sports editor: Bruce Bourquin, or I suppose BB for short, arrives at the Signal’s sports desk one month after its previous editor resigned abruptly. He comes to Creekside with several years of sports coverage in Arizona and earned his BS in Journalism from San Diego State. “I’m looking forward to the challenge of being sports editor in such a vibrant community as the Santa Clarita Valley with its diverse background and expectations.” Okay, let me clue you in a bit greenhorn. All the parents will want you to cover their events, but everyone who lives in the SCV knows that Hart High School Uber Alles. The Indians sell more papers than anyone else, so devote all your resources to the high school on Newhall Ave. Frank Ferry and Tim Myers can go pound sand for all I care, Hart rules.
- Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to party in your suburban home while you’re out of town: School is almost out, and that means its party time for the legions of pimply-faced-youths in the SCV. So it’s also that time of the year for the LASD and the City to remind (nag) us that unsupervised teenager parties are never a good thing. The LASD is quick to point out that last year the Five-Oh responded to some “3,538 calls for service involving either large parties in which teenagers were found to be unsupervised” and has also responded to three incidents regarding teenage drug use in just the last two weeks. Oh sh*t man, it’s the cops!
- Ken Pulskamp’s message for June: City budget time, a feasibility study for a new rec center in Canyon Country, the Newhall Library which the city is “moving along” on, and the expansion of the Sports Complex are in this month’s message from Boss Pulskamp.
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Caption this Photo Contest!
“Oh poop!”