So listen to CBS 2’s lede for their web story on the quake: ” Despite shaking a large swath of Southern California, a magnitude-5.4 earthquake was not the “Big One” that scientists have long feared.” Gee, ya think? Is our tribal memory of earthquakes that sparse that we forgot what a large earthquake is really like? Way to dumb it down CBS.
News
- Bravo to the Signal! Short-staffed and just as affected by the quake as the rest of us were, the Signal produced three different stories today on yesterday’s 5.4 temblor which rattled nerves across the Southern California region. In the first, Jim Holt simply describes the quake and talks with various institutions and companies around town to get a sense of the damage (there was little to none), while in the second, Holt talked a bit about the emergency procedures and inspections that went into effect shortly after the quake. And finally, in the third(and best!) article, Holt got all sciencey and spoke at length with a USGS scientist who, get this, says that in 1999, the USGS “set off powerful explosions 12 miles underground [in Santa Clarita] and monitored blast response on those fractures in the earth’s crust.” That study, the USGS guy says, “was very helpful to our survey people in understanding earthquake-producing machinery.” EDIT: Also, the City quickly opened up an Emergency Information website which looks like it could be useful in the future. Link
- About that guy who “predicted” the quake: I’ve had almost 24 hours to ponder Luke Thomas’ prediction (which I wrote about on Monday) and I’ve come to the conclusion that he was simply lucky. Since the quake happened, people viewing his prediction video have skyrocketed from just around 100 views on Monday to over 7,000 today.Most of the commenters fall into two camps: they’re amazed and think Thomas can predict the future, or they think that even a wrong clock is right twice a day. What’s being ignored is that Thomas also predicted a quake in the Bay Area and his prediction about a quake in Santa Clarita wasn’t strictly true: the quake was centered some 50-60 miles away in Chino Hills. Indeed, the official USGS “shake map” shows Santa Clarita received only “Light to Moderate” shaking compared with the “Very Strong” shaking in Chino Hills.
- Why your iPhone or Blackberry didn’t work after the quake: Another interesting aspect of yesterday’s quake was the spike in landline and mobile phone usage immediately following the 5.4 temblor. The LA Times reports today that telco disruptions were “widespread” over Southern California; Sprint even reported an 800% call spike while Verizon says the spike in calls was 40% higher than they expected for emergencies. Link
- Mervyns Declares BK: Mervyn’s, the official wardrobe outfitter of SCVTalk.com, has declared bankruptcy and the LA Times says the outlook is “cloudy” for the future of the mid-tier clothing retailer. The chain, which operates 129 stores in California and one here in Santa Clarita (River Oaks shopping center), plans to operate through the bankruptcy, though it has a list of “unprofitable stores that should be closed.” No word on whether that might include Santa Clarita’s Mervyn’s, which when I moved here, was pretty much the only place in town to get a decent set of threads. The store is popular for its good deals, it’s catchy “Open, Open, Open” advert campaign, and its wide selection of non-offensive middle class clothes. Link
- Henry Mayo Hospital lets slip the dogs of war: Just as things were starting to settle down in the old SCV (both politically and seismically) , I received a mailer yesterday from the fine folks at Henry Mayo Hospital on “Ten Reasons to Support the Master Plan.” The mailer, sent by way of Victory Mail, lobbyist Scott Wilk’s mailhouse, says the hospital will host an “old-fashioned ice cream social” next month so that neighbors and residents can “get the scoop on the hospital’s revised Master Plan.” On the flip side are the ten reasons we should support the hospital’s plan, which is now up to its 3rd/4th/or possibly 5th revision. One of the reasons we should support it, the mailer says, is that the expansion plan “adds up to 120 much-needed beds and more private rooms.” The mega-controversy over the Hospital’s plans has largely been sidelined since last fall as hospital boosters, city leaders and others awaited the outcome of the April 2008 City Council election, an election where expansion plan critic TimBen Boydston would be replaced. I don’t think the City Council will take a look at this until September; in the meantime, you can view a slick new website (with a pretty young doctor!) that has more on the expansion plan. SCVBetterHealth.com
- Chinese Students visit SCV on English language mission: Several students ranging in age from 12 to 19 are in town for the next few weeks to “see the sights and practice their conversational English skills” according to the Signal’s .edu beat report Sharon Cotal. They’re staying with families in town and to get around, the’re mostly riding Santa Clarita Transit buses (god help them). So far they’ve visited Mountasia, Universal Studios, the Valencia Ice station and took the beach bus down to Santa Monica. Link
- Reminder: SCV Sheriffs to close Soledad for unknown reasons today: The Station will shut down portions of Soledad Road between Crossglade and Luther drive today starting at around 9 am and ending at 12. “With a reduced number of traffic lanes at various intervals and potential detour patterns, traffic may be heavy at times and motorists should expect delays in both directions as the investigation is conducted.” Deputies will be conducting a collision investigation. WRB.com
- Canyon Country woman attacked by Pit Bulls: A 40 year old woman was walking her Chihuahua on Scherzinger lane in Canyon Country when “two pit bulls got out of their yard and moved towards her and her dog.” The woman picked up her Chihuahua but then was attacked by the two other dogs. She suffered puncture wounds and bites to her neck and hand. The two dogs were taken to the Castaic shelter and will likely be euthanized, Katie Geyer reports. The Chihuahua suffered wounds too but was being treated. Link
- Official SCV Real Estate report from June: The Signal has a story today on June statistics released yesterday and detailed here on SCVTalk. Not surprisingly, the Southland Association of Realtors says things are quite rosy and remarks that last month’s sales increase was the “fifth consecutive month of increased activity.” Jim Link,SRAR CEO, says the SCV is “far better off than other, harder hit areas of the state, especially those that had large numbers of new home tracts aimed primarily at first time home buyers.” Link
Misc
- Buck and House GOP using sly maneuver to spur energy debate: A blog over on EdWeek.org says Congressman McKeon and Minority Leader John Boehner are circulating a memo in the House today advising House Republicans to talk about the cost of fuel and energy as it relates to local school districts. House members go on break next month and usually return to their home districts; this comes just as a USA Today survey found that some 15% of school districts nationwide were considering going to a 4-day school week in order to reduce transportation and energy costs. It’s also an issue Buck can sink his teeth into: he’s the ranking Republican on the Houses’ Education and Labor Subcommittee and he’s been out-in-front on the energy debate, advocating for off-shore drilling and accusing Nancy Pelosi of doing nothing. Link
- I Heart = SCV Papparazi? The blogger says a number of high-falutin’ Hollywood types will be in the SCV in the coming weeks in order to film a new comedy called “Stay Cool.” He says he’ll pay you $1.04 if you can get a picture of one of them in front of an SCV landmark. Link
- Extreme Home Makeover house getting foreclosed upon: How’s this to make your blood boil? Back in 2005, the Extreme Home Makeover team went and built this beautiful mansion for a family in the Atlanta area. ABC paid for it all and even gave the family enough money to pay taxes on it for 25 years. Since then though, the family took out a loan against the house to start a business and bam! just like that, the home is in foreclosure. LA Land blog has the story.
- Ryan Metlen provoking discussion: The Signal’s sometimes cartoonist, Cal Arts grad Ryan Metlen, has penned a few comics in the last week discussing Obama’s campaign and his trip to Europe. In today’s Signla, Gary Horton replies to one, while on Metlen’s blog site, the cartoonist discusses the cartoons and invites responses. Good stuff even if I disagree with it!
- Signal reader weary of sympathy for CC mom: “I’m growing weary of the daily news reports that describe the mother of 2-year-old Jack Winchester as ‘upset and distraught,” reader Sharon Devol writes to the Signal today. She continues: “His death was a horrible accident but one that could have been prevented if the mother had turned her primary focus on her kids rather than her groceries.” Wow - a frank opinion in the LTE section. Wonder if this letter will light up the Signal switchboard today with complaints. I don’t know what to say - the mother is responsible but that doesn’t make the situation feel any better. Link
- And Finally, mad props to Signal for Same Sex Marriage Announcement: I missed this but thanks to the reader who reminded me of it: In Sunday’s Lifestyle section, the Signal published a wedding announcement for one same-sex couple: Bruce Ivie of Newhall and David Bowers of Tennessee were married in June in San Francisco according to the announcement. They both live in San Francisco and work as private chefs and have been a couple for some 27 years. Ivie still has relatives in the SC and graduated from Hart High (rah rah!) in 1975. Their announcement and photo appeared in The Signal on the same day this ultra-conservative LTE appeared in the Opinion section. Congrats to the happy couple!