According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, North Carolina, an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of Friday the 13th. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. “It’s been estimated that $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day.”
Eeegads. I better come up with a good Daily Brief today.
News
- Three additional students make allegations against Canyon/Birmingham coach: Three more female students say that Birmingham teacher and Canyon High coach Kevin Thomas molested them in the past, according to the Daily News. Also, the Hart District is now admitting that Thomas, 40, has “been working with the Canyon football team since spring practice started” despite the fact that he hasn’t gone through the formal employment process. The District says he was working as a volunteer. As the investigation unfolds, Thomas won’t be allowed “anywhere near our campuses” Hart HR says. In related news, the Hart district is stepping up anti-sexual harassment training.
- Signal actually says not to worry about water supplies: If a catastrophic earthquake occurred in the Bay Area that shut down the State Water Project, we shouldn’t worry about it here in Santa Clarita because CLWA has stored enough water that we could “make it through two years, taking water out of storage,” according to CLWA Chief Dan Masnada. Masnada outlined a few scenarios in which SWP water might be interrupted before a Chamber luncheon yesterday. He described the interruption of water from the state as a “Katrina in waiting” scenario. The Signal, taking Masnada at his word without talking to other water experts, says “No Worries” in its headline on the story. Link
- City breaks ground on Sports Complex expansion: What do you get when you add gold shovels, Santa Clarita dirt, local officials and dignitaries, and $25 million? A kick-off event for an expanded Santa Clarita Sports Complex, that’s what. The Signal says the expansion will include a 40,000 sq. ft. skate park that may open as early as next spring (nonetheless, the skaters are still getting a $100k plus temporary park in August). Also included in the expansion is a new gym, an off-leash dog park (yay!), outdoor basketball courts, multi-use playing fields, and more parking and landscaping. Katie Geyer has the report.
- New bus contractor in August: After winning the bid and formally being selected by the City Council, MV Transportation will take over as contractor for Santa Clarita Transit in August, and transit honcho Jeff O’Keefe says the public may see improvements, especially on commuter routes. Routes, drivers, and schedules should largely remain the same. Report
- Some cool talent coming to PAC: Stephen Peeples runs down the list of singers and performers who will headline shows at the COC PAC this year. Among them: Art Garfunkel, the Righteous Brothers (oh that loving feeling), Los Lobos (I like those guys), Tom Rush and a few others. The big question remains: will the over-protective volunteers freak out when people want to dance near the stage as they did during the Berlin concert a few years ago? Link
- Buck McKeon among scores of GOP congressman who refuse to comment on McCain endorsement: The Hill, a congressional newspaper, lists McKeon’s name along with dozens of other GOP House Members who either refuse to endorse McCain or refuse to comment on his candidacy. The paper says staffers for these congressmen only say they will eventually endorse whoever is on the GOP ticket. It seems McCain is a hard pill to swallow for some of thees conservative House members. Come to think of it, I didn’t hear McKeon talk up McCain during his most recent Tele-town hall conference call. Link
- Feds training in SCV pool: Four FBI teams from the east coast have been training this week in the dive pool at the Santa Clarita Sports complex. Check this out: They don’t actually use SCUBA gear, they breathe from a hose snaking down from the surface. KHTS says they train this way so they can investigate underwater crime scenes. Link
- Hart Board member Strickland op/ed: Hart Board member Paul Strickland -an elected representative in our local school district- decided to use his column space in the Signal today to slam Democrats and the “new religion of the elite leftists,” that being of course global climate change. I guess it’s more important to write about things like that than say, oh the delayed (dead?) Castaic High School, the recent “inappropriate contact” rumors that have swept the District, or even selling the district’s upcoming $240 million bond measure which may come before SCV voters soon. Link
Hey, do we still have this problem?
The article below appeared in the June 14, 1988 Los Angeles Times
An Identity Problem: City of Santa Clarita Finds It’s Nowhere to Many People
Santa Clarita has a problem. Many people don’t know it exists.
Ask directory assistance for the telephone number for Santa Clarita City Hall and you probably will be told that there is no such place. Use the wrong ZIP code and a letter bound for Santa Clarita may go to Santa Clara, Santa Ana or any of the other Santas in the state.
Such are the trials of Los Angeles County’s youngest municipality. And the problem is compounded because Santa Clarita encompasses four established Santa Clarita Valley communities: Newhall, Saugus, Valencia and most of Canyon Country.
“I think we’ve got a serious problem,” said Councilman Carl Boyer III.
“I’ve gotten a lot of these complaints,” said Councilwoman Jan Heidt.
Plaint From Resident
Heidt and Boyer made their comments recently while the council discussed a letter from a new resident who had discovered that no one seemed to know where she lives.
“After getting here, it seems that most Californians have no idea where Santa Clarita is,” wrote Linda Wellintz. “In fact, when we applied for a library card, we were told we could not use Santa Clarita as the city and that we had to use Newhall. . . .
“Were you aware that if you call information and ask for Santa Clarita, you will be told that no such place exists in California? We also went into a local store and wrote out a check, and we were asked where Santa Clarita was. This store lies within what we understand the boundaries of Santa Clarita to be.”
Council members and city residents tell similar tales. John Mann, owner of Triple M Graphics, recalled how a client in the San Fernando Valley mailed a printing order to him shortly after Santa Clarita incorporated on Dec. 15. The order never arrived.
“It came back to her from Santa Clara,” he said.
More Explaining to Do
Newhall resident Boyer said that, after years of having to explain where Newhall is, he now is having to explain how to find Santa Clarita.
“This may be why some public relations firms contacted us after the election,” said Mayor Howard R. (Buck) McKeon.
What’s a city with no reputation to do?
Heidt said the city should complain to Pacific Bell. But Charlene Baldwin, a Pacific Bell spokeswoman, said new computer software that will include Santa Clarita listings will not be installed until August or September. The company always has to reprogram software whenever a new city is created, Baldwin said.
“Santa Clarita is not unique,” she said.
John Trap, Santa Clarita’s postmaster, said the young city is just experiencing growing pains. “Down the road sometime, everyone’s going to say Santa Clarita,” he said. “Mission Viejo went through the same thing.”
As long as people use the correct ZIP code, Trap said, their mail should reach its intended destination.
Councilman Boyer said the new city’s effort to forge an identity might start with its own stationery-the letterhead now states that Santa Clarita’s city offices are in Canyon Country.
Stationery Change
“I think the first thing we should do is have our stationery become Santa Clarita, not Canyon Country,” he said.
Boyer has had his own troubles with the new city. After incorporation, he informed the Unocal oil company that his address had become Santa Clarita, not Newhall.
“The next time the bill came to Saugus,” he said.
So Boyer pointed out the error.
“This month,” he said, “the bill came to Castaic.”