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Yes, there is architecture in Santa Clarita! Just check out Power Station No. 2 in San Francisquito Canyon, built after San Francisquito’s raging waters destroyed the original plant in 1928. Here we see a building with Art Deco elements, built in the same era as other massive government water projects, including Hoover dam.
- *Insert Joke about Deputy Driving Skills Here*: A Sheriff’s Deputy operating out of the SCV Sheriff’s Station crashed his cruiser into a power pole on San Francisquito Canyon Road early this morning, which triggered a power outage for some 2,600 Edison customers. The Deputy involved in the 3am accident was uninjured, and so was another driver who slammed into the pole later. Fate is not without a sense of irony…just blocks away from the downed power pole in SF Canyon are those new Darth Vader electrical structures that have much of North Valencia up in arms. AP Report
- Realtor allegedly conned “Millions” out of SCV residents: That’s according to a second KHTS article on Celia Gallardo, the woman in charge of Gold Feather Realty and Gold Credit Investments. Carol Rock says last week’s raid by 28 detectives on the businesses and home of Gallardo prompted “relief and some strong feelings from Santa Clarita victims.” The KHTS article is long on quotes from anonymous “victims” and short on use of the word “alleged” but does provide some more background on Gallardo. Meanwhile, the Signal got in on the story this weekend too; reporter Jim Holt asked Gallardo about the raids; she refused to answer any questions but said media reports on the matter amounted to “gossip.” So what’s happening next? This story may have legs- no less an authority than Mayor Bob Kellar is holding a meeting for upset investors tonight at his City Hall office.
- New evidence prompted re-arrest of Canyon Country murder suspects: The two brothers who were arrested then released back in March of 2006 after the murder of a bar owner in Canyon Country were re-arrested based upon new evidence in the case, the Signal reports. The murder, which took place behind the Mugsy’s Bar in Canyon Country, was witnessed by only one person, a female bar employee. Back in 2006, she claimed she heard the murder but could not see the assailants. Now though, she wrote a letter in which “she claims to have been struck in the head by the assailant and then had a plastic container placed over her head.” That account contradicts her earlier testimony, but is apparently the new evidence Homicide Detectives were looking for. Cops re-arrested the two brothers in August and they will appear before a preliminary hearing today in San Fernando. Link
- City Council coming at you: Katie Geyer has a preview of tomorrow’s City Council meeting and some more information on the somewhat controversial historical preservation ordinance. Link
- Lucky guy of the week: A man walking in the train tunnel on Saturday afternoon was struck by a Metrolink Train but only suffered minor injuries, according to The Signal. Officials were still trying “to figure out why the man was walking in the tunnel.”
- More details from LABC Housing report: The report released last week by the Los Angeles Business Council on affordable housing says nearly 49% of Santa Clarita residents spend “30 percent or more of their monthly income on their mortgages.” That’s a bit high, but not too much; I thought housing experts say you shouldn’t spend more than 25% of your income on housing. In any event, it’s way better than Palmdale, where homeowners spend about 45% of their income on housing. The Daily News editorial says regional planning and land use are necessary in the future to manage jobs/housing balance and to lessen commute problems. Link
- Why we like Tim Myers here at SCVTalk: Tim Myers had a great column in Sunday’s Op/Ed section that I think will help answer an important question about the SCV: is Santa Clarita (a small big town, right?) susceptible to snake oil salesmen, con artists, and slimy businessmen? Recent history would seem to indicate that yes, the community’s business groups, charity events, government posts, and politics all intermingle on some level, and that makes for a great environment for a con man. Myers doesn’t get into all that, but he does review the recent history of Vital Express, another company run by two charity circuit fixtures who left town (And their house in Sand Canyon) with a string of debt,unpaid employees, and much anger. Unfortunately it’s not online.