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Oh look at the cute little elephants and donkeys! It’s politics season for sure!
- Odd hot tube incident in Canyon Country: Two people were found unconscious in a hot tub last Friday in Canyon Country. ONe of them, a man, was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead, while the other survived and is in critical condition. Homicide cops are investigating but “there were no signs of foul plan and no evidence of alcohol or drug abuse” and a Detective thinks it was all accidental. Link
- The Castaic High Curse: Looks like the trouble with Lehman Brothers might affect SunCal’s ability (which was already under question) to ever build NorthLake and thus a Castaic High School. Link
- Indian Summer: Highs were in the low 100s yesterday, a shock to my system after last week’s cool weather. Today should be about 100. Wednesday will be more normal. PT
- California Passes Budget: Legislators worked until 2:30 am to pass a compromise budget, according to the SacBee. The budget would “solve the state’s $15.2 billion deficit largely by advancing revenues to be collected in future years, employing accounting maneuvers, and shifting or borrowing money from other state funds.” Yeah sounds like a great plan NOT. Governor Schwarzenegger still needs to sign.
- Times readers, friends remember Kari Hsieh: The 17/18 year old (I’ve seen both now) Hart student and tennis player died in the Metrolink train crash last week. Some 39 people have posted farewells to her on the LA Times.
- Slash 100k off of new home prices and get…bupkis: From SFVBJ: “With their 24-unit Solstice townhome project nearing completion, they wanted to try to get them sold off, according to company founder and president, Lance Williams. After running ads in the local papers and putting up a billboard right on Sierra Highway announcing the event, the site was all prepped for a big crowd to show up. They figured slashing about $100,000 off the price of the units would be too tantalizing to pass up; and putting a time limit on the price reduction – one day only, first-come, first-served, pre-qualified buyers only – would create a sense of urgency. But the chairs were empty and there was no one standing in line at the appointed hour of 10 a.m. on Saturday, just a bunch of sales people and lenders standing at the ready to make deals.” Williams says builders in Santa Clarita aren’t building houses anymore unless they are sold first. Link
- Here’s why: New home sales fell 57% in July from a year ago according to the California Building Industry Association. That’s the state figure; LA County new home sales fell 64.5% in that same time. Link
- Two for the aerial Sheriffs: A 26 year old man from Oxnard was arrested on Saturday night after he allegedly pointed a green laser at a Sheriff’s Department patrol helicopter in Valencia. And last Thursday, three 13 year olds ripped off a bicycle from an open garage in Stevenson Ranch. A girl living at the house called the fuzz and the fuzz responded with the Sheriff’s department helicopter and tracked the teens down at a nearby elementary school! I hate bike thieves as much as the next cyclist, but I can only hope they respond that way if my bike ever gets stolen.Link
- County workers edit Wikipedia entries on their bosses: So claims LAist which found Los Angeles County IP addresses on Wikipedia entries for Supervisors Gloria Molina, Mike Antonovich, and Don Knabe. I’m of two minds about this: it’s fine for anyone to correct errors in wikipedia, and those who work at the county would be in a position to do so. But it’s also a gray area since some of the people who watch those entries (like the one on our Supe, Antonovich) say the changes make the entry look like campaign literature. LAist
- McKeon holding press conference with local media today: He wants to
boost McCain’s chances in Californiato talk to local media about “the Democrats ‘No Energy” energy plan that was filed last night with the House Rules Committee and up for a House vote today [sic].” Expect one sided stories tomorrow.
- I want to take up a collection for this man: The principal of Castaic Elementary school is biking from San Francisco to Castaic next month in an effort to “raise money for the school so that children can have more shade trees, and so we can implement more physical fitness programs through the school,” according to KHTS. The 364 mile trip will take place during the school’s fall recess, and the principal, Mark Evans, will blog during his ride. Awesome! He’s asking for sponsors. What do you say SCVTalkers? Maybe we could donate to this worthy cause, get some good press, and help those kids out? If you’re interested, just go to PayPal and donate money to jeff.wilson AT gmail.com and tag it “Castaic”. I’ll followup on this blog if anyone donates and get the money over to Castaic Elementary. Link