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June 18, 2010· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

June 18, 2010 – Daily Brief

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

Image not recoverednewhallgateway.jpg

Rendering of one of three conceptual plans for the Newhall Gateway project at Newhall Avenue/Sierra Highway. Review the City Council agenda item to see more renderings and details

  • Water arriving in Santa Clarita from the State Water Project already has significant amounts of chlorides in it, writes Jim Holt in the third part of his Water Wars series SIGNAL
  • Remember the car wash owner who offered free drug-sniffing dog services to the Hart School District? KHTS says Randy Cressal’s two dogs could start sniffing around Hart district schools as soon as next year. The dogs are certified by the DEA. “In addition to the training to hold the DEA certification they must pass a written test, maintain a 95 percent accuracy rating on locating hidden drugs, and be re-certified on a continual basis every year.” I’m presuming the owner has to pass the written test. Or are these like really smart dogs? KHTS
  • Packed, Packed I say, City Council Agenda for next week. Here we go: $177 million budget for FY 10-11, acquisition of 14k sq. ft. of land in Old Town Newhall, presentation of the Newhall Gateway project, grant green energy awards to local businesses, award $4.1 m photovoltaic/solar power contract for Transit building, contract with a private electricity supplier instead of Edison for city accounts, phase 2 of Newhall streetscape project, modification of local campaign finance ordinances, and consideration of a request by the new Economic Development Corporation to jointly apply for Enterprise Zone designation for an unincorporated LA County business park. Whew! AGENDA
  • The wife and son of a truck driver who died in the horrific October 2007 I-5 tunnel crash and fire are having trouble getting compensation and damages in court says an LA Times columnist. Ricardo Cibrian, 39, had just bought his own truck to haul goods for the 99 cent store when he crashed in the tunnel and burned to death. His wife and 7 year old son have struggled since then and the case against a Georgia trucking company found at fault for the crash has stalled LA TIMES
  • City Briefs says Councilmembers Laurene Weste and Bob Kellar are in Washington DC “working on CEMEX legislation.” CITY BRIEFS
  • Obama Administration files criminal charges against 1,200 mortgage professionals in an effort to crack down on mortgage fraud. At least two individuals were charged in Ventura County LA TIMES
  • Some loser(s) in Saugus painted a swastika and other racial epithets on an African American’s fence SIGNAL, KHTS
  • Speaking of losers, I was glued to the unfolding riot situation all over LA last night after the Lakers’ victory. At least 9 people were arrested according to the LA TIMES
  • Also, remember yesterday’s story about a tow company employee hitting and allegedly slashing a man who wanted his car back? Well reverse the perp and the victim; The Signal says it was actually the tow company employee who was attacked and slashed by the car’s owner, who couldn’t afford to get his car out of impound SIGNAL
  • SCV School districts meet ‘n greet Robert Challinor, the new Superintendent of William S. Hart District SIGNAL
  • Deputies train for active shooter scenario at local junior high school KHTS
  • Over a dozen cyclists showed up at last night’s Los Angeles County Bicycle Master plan meeting at Hart Park to discuss unincorporated area cycling infrastructure, driver/cyclist education programs, and other matters. The County is working on updating its Bicycle Master Plan which was created in 1975. More on this later.
  • Great Signal article on farmers markets in the SCV and what attracts people to them SIGNAL
  • George Runner’s Ronald Reagan Day bill passed committee and stands a good chance of becoming law KHTS
  • Assemblyman Cameron Smyth is listing himself as “Businessperson/Assemblyman” on the November ballot according to a FOX NEWS story on incumbents who try to hide their incumbency from outraged voters. What business has he run?
  • Hart Board member and Signal Columnist Paul Strickland says he’s as “green-thinking” as the next guy, but he resents the hell out of the plastic bag ban and quotes people who say environmentalists are ruining the economy. SIGNAL Hey Mr. Strickland, there is a real cost to plastic bags, why don’t you research a little more before spouting off? Or better yet, Man up and use a canvas bag when you shop.
  • The Signal publishes a look at the headlines for the week of June 14 1988, just 7 months or so after we formed our city. Shanty Towns on Hamburger Hill? Yup! SIGNAL

Comments (51)

  1. mikeJune 18, 2010 at 8:06 am
    I like that rendering. SImilar in style to the Newhall Library before the architectural ignoramuses had their way with the council.
  2. yes, that josh premakoJune 18, 2010 at 8:43 am
    I don’t know Mike, looks more like it belongs in Mammoth. William S. Hart would not approve of its ski-lodginess!
  3. mikeJune 18, 2010 at 8:48 am
    In his day, Frank Lloyd Wright was a big supporter of extreme winter sports.
  4. JeffJune 18, 2010 at 8:47 am
    Not sure I’m too hot on the style, honestly. It looks like a cross between Bridgeport, Newhall and that shopping center on Stevenson Ranch parkway (the stones). I wonder if people will protest that this is directly across the street from the only cemetery in town.
  5. mikeJune 18, 2010 at 8:51 am
    am I right, in order to see the other plans, I have to download a 240MB file?
  6. JeffJune 18, 2010 at 9:35 am
    You are correct. What I really love is that you have to download the PDF to find the link to download the real PDF. I’ll take Government over-reliance on PDF for $500 Alex
  7. lvogelJune 18, 2010 at 12:21 pm
    This is a ‘business’ office building correct? ‘Cause it looks a bit like an apartment building. Wondering what business’s will go in it? Is the idea to build and they will come, or does the city already have takers? I just hope that this nice looking building doesn’t stay empty like so many other available spaces in our valley…it would be a shame.
  8. gregJune 18, 2010 at 2:11 pm
    Lvogel, This building is actually the hotel according to the site plans that are in the agenda packet.
  9. lvogelJune 18, 2010 at 8:41 pm
    Seriously, a hotel?! Not feeling it.
  10. spineflower2June 18, 2010 at 8:42 am
    I like plastic bags. I sure, we use canvas bags for most of our shopping, but those free platic bags are great for other jobs. I don’t want to have to pay for new baggies from the housewares aisle for: - picking up dog poop - wrapping rags or other painting debris so it doens’t drip on the carpet or floor - oily rags, or used oil filter from the car so I can recycele them at Kragen - food waste that can’t be composted but that I dont want to stink up the trach can We do not throw away a single bag; we reuse them all. Why should I have to go buy new bags (and their packaging, not so green, eh?) when I have a perfectly usable, recycled, and free source from the supermarket?
  11. JeffJune 18, 2010 at 8:49 am
    “Why should I have to go buy new bags (and their packaging, not so green, eh?) when I have a perfectly usable, recycled, and free source from the supermarket?” Because plastic bags cost society as a whole? Do you really not get the connection? Just because you use your bags responsibly doesn’t mean everyone else does. I reuse mine too, but I still see them floating all around the river bed here in town. We eliminated plastic water bottles in my house by buying stainless steel containers and using the filtered water off the fridge. Before that we were going through nearly 100 plastic water bottles a month.
  12. mikeJune 18, 2010 at 8:52 am
    Yeah, because Phil gets an extra use out of them, they cease to be the proven ill that they are.
  13. spineflower2June 18, 2010 at 9:48 am
    Fine, you may be okay picking up dog doo with your bare hands, but some of us are a little squeamish that way.
  14. lvogelJune 18, 2010 at 12:28 pm
    Are the plastic bags recyclable? There’s a triangle at the bottom of most, which made me believe that they could be recycled. Same with plastic bottles; they can be recycled.
  15. WalkerJune 18, 2010 at 1:36 pm
    But there is still an environmental toll of manufacturing/recycling/remanufacturing. That’s assuming that every bag makes its way to a recycling facility. How likely do you think that is? As Jeff said, take a look at the trees and bushes in the riverbeds. And we live in an area where we pay people to take care of such unsightliness for us. In areas not so lucky, trees and bushes are sometimes littered with hundreds of ‘runaway’ bags. Why is it so difficult for people to think sustainably? Is it really that much of a hassle to buy a few nice reusable grocery bags or a reusable water bottle? Yes, disposables should be available for those in a pinch, but there needs to be an associated cost to encourage re-use. If you’re too cheap to buy nice reusable bags, pay the plastic bag ‘fine’ of $.05 or whatever and reuse your cheapy plastic bags until you come to your senses.
  16. spineflower2June 18, 2010 at 1:51 pm
    It’s 25 cents, not 5 cents. A little pricey to be picking up dog poop with. What’s the difference between my reusing a grocery plastic bag instead of purchasing bag from the same store? Even MORE “manufacturing/recycling/remanufacturing.” C’mon, put your thinking caps on! Man, just because knuckleheads misuse a product, I can’t use it anymore? Sheesh. It’s the arrogant chicken littles that feel they need to protect me from myself that have to come to their senses.
  17. WalkerJune 18, 2010 at 2:18 pm
    Sorry. $.25. And no one said you couldn’t use your plastic bags. You’ll just have to buy them. Buying them because you have a reason for them and will use them (some what) responsbily is an entirely different discussion than bags being handed out to every single consumer for every single purchase. Yes, you have a (some what) responsble use for those bags. The majority of people DO NOT and WILL NOT dispose of them properly. Honestly, I just don’t get your logic at all. I love that you are reusing your bags for something. I think that is fantastic. We should all think a little less ‘recycle’ and a lot more ‘reduce/reuse’. But can you not agree that the MAJORITY of plastic bag consumers are NOT reusing their plastic bags and likely not even disposing of them in an appropriate way. Can you not agree that charging a small fee for a bag will encourage consumers to use reusalble bags. This is fact. It has happened in other countries/counties and even here in our own little community with IKEA (as others have mentioned). Sure one or two guys will have to pay for their dog poo bags (gasp!) but for the MAJORITY of consumers charging for plastic bags promotes sustainable practices, reduces waste and cuts down on costly disposal.
  18. NateJune 18, 2010 at 2:00 pm
    Recycling most plastics are a waste of time and effort they really only make people feel good like they are making a different.
  19. WalkerJune 18, 2010 at 2:21 pm
    Right. They’re not even supposed to be placed in the streamline recycle bin (what we have). They need to be put in those boxes specifically marked for plastic bags (that they have at the grocery store entrance). They get caught up in the machines in streamline recycling equipment or simply blow away.
  20. lvogelJune 18, 2010 at 8:05 pm
    Okay, so this is where I’m coming from…. I use biodegradable ‘poop bags’ when I walk my dog. I also carry a ‘plastic’ bag when I walk my dog. See, I pick up trash on my walks with my dog. What do you suggest I use? See I truly dislike seeing trash in our parks and on the sidewalks; it’s a pet peeve of mine. The poop bags that I purchase as Petsmart are not cheap. I use canvas store bags when I shop, and I WILL NOT use them. So……
  21. lvogelJune 19, 2010 at 7:26 am
    McBean/Tournament/Singing Hills… In fact I called the hospital a couple of months ago ’cause there were medical/latex gloves all over that area between the surgical center and the hospital. The first day I saw it, I assumed (Boy I’m such an A$$) that ‘they’ would have seen them and picked them up. NOPE, 4 days later…still there! I called and spoke with admin. and they were surprised. Not sure if the woman I spoke to was surprised that there were medical supplies on the street or that someone actually called and reported it to them! After 4 days (it could have been longer) NO ONE noticed from the hospital and I was the only one that brought it to their attention?! See! I’m whinning….
  22. CastaicClayJune 19, 2010 at 10:38 pm
    Paper is choice for you.
  23. drive66June 18, 2010 at 9:31 am
    Filtered water from the fridge tastes awful
  24. NateJune 18, 2010 at 2:01 pm
    I got a Brita and it works great. Bottle Water is a scam.
  25. drive66June 18, 2010 at 3:03 pm
    We had a Brita as well and now it’s a flower pot. YUK!!!!!
  26. spineflower2June 18, 2010 at 9:59 am
    My use of a platics bag does not cost society. After my use and reuse they are in a landfill, not a stream or open field. Just because some idiots abuse them doesn’t mean I should not be able to use them. Some people commit crimes in cars, so let’s ban those! Until you offer a reasonable alternative for my use of the bags, it is irresponsible to take them away. Speaking of alternatives, what happened to those bags and “foam” packaging that was made out of cornstarch? It breaks down in sunlight after a few months, so it doesn’t linger to pollute the environment.
  27. NateJune 18, 2010 at 11:25 am
    Is irresponsible the right word? I don’t think it is irresponsible, I believe it is unneeded Government interference in Business and people’s lives. Save us from wallstreet’s greed not from giving out a few plastic bags.
  28. WalkerJune 18, 2010 at 1:44 pm
    Irresponsible how? I’m not following your logic at all. Sure, I get that you are out there finding good use for your plastic bags, but the majority of people are not. Those who have a ‘need’ enough for plastic bags that they are willing to pay for that need can do so. Those that would have otherwise tossed the bag will likely resort to ususable bags because that is far less work that carrying your groceries home in your bare hands. Where is the irresponsible?????
  29. CastaicClayJune 19, 2010 at 10:46 pm
    Please get over yourself!
  30. NateJune 18, 2010 at 9:13 am
    I don’t think we should be telling businesses what to do. If they want to give out plastic bags they should be able too. I believe it should be a choice.
  31. Mike MJune 18, 2010 at 11:23 am
    They do have a choice. The current law isn’t a ban, it’s a tax. Businesses have a choice to carry thin film single use bags or not carry them, and consumers have a choice to pay $0.25 per bag or bring a reusable one from home. Ikea’s been doing the same thing for a long time. The idea is that government can encourage what it considers positive behavior by subsidizing it, and discourage negative behavior by taxing it. By charging a quarter per bag, eventually more people will choose not to take disposable bags and will bring reusable ones – or so one hopes.
  32. spineflower2June 18, 2010 at 12:56 pm
    25 cents per dog poop? Really.
  33. WalkerJune 18, 2010 at 1:47 pm
    Seriously. *shakes head in disbelief*. I will buy you the damn dog poop bags if you’ll just give up on the dog poo excuse.
  34. WalkerJune 18, 2010 at 1:47 pm
    I hit the wrong reply Sorry John
  35. navigatorJune 18, 2010 at 2:27 pm
    Remember when we told to go to recycleable plastic bags and get away from using paper bags? Would somebody make up my mind.
  36. spineflower2June 18, 2010 at 9:00 pm
    Yes, I do. And paper bags could also be recycled as book covers, which we now buy, and which are glossy and color-inked, which takes even more resources to produce than recycled pulp-based paper bags. Simple-minded and ignorant environmental policies are rampant today. Hey, but if it makes you FEEL like you are doing the right thing, that’s all that matters, right?
  37. BrianJune 19, 2010 at 7:21 am
    How many times have I ended up at the market on a last minute whim and find I don’t have a reuseable bag? Too many! Should I buy still more of these reuseable bags until I have a hundred dollar collection worth? Encourage less use by choice not law! Refuse adamantly the clerks robotic desire to place one or two overpackaged items in a bag. It’s so obvious they don’t even think about offering NO bag as a choice to paper or plastic! I have had them unbag a freakin candy bar fercrissakes!
  38. spineflower2June 18, 2010 at 8:44 am
    Needs more setback. You go from open space to sheer walls against the sidewalk. Fugly. Some welcome to our valley!
  39. mikeJune 18, 2010 at 8:52 am
    yeah, where’s the parking lots that our valley is known for?
  40. BrianJune 19, 2010 at 7:23 am
    For a sample of zero setback just look at the center by Darcy library. ZERO asthetic value facing Soledad. Good job city, but then it’s just Canyon Country, right?
  41. Bill ReynoldsJune 18, 2010 at 9:26 am
    Are you liberals having a good time posting your useless comments and “talking” to each other today? Ha-ha!
  42. mikeJune 18, 2010 at 9:28 am
    Don’t you have some children to slander?
  43. NateJune 18, 2010 at 11:05 am
    I feel bad for Bill. He wants so bad to be relevant.
  44. Jeff (But not the one that runs this blogJune 18, 2010 at 9:29 am
    Are you still having a good time harassing children and their choice of solid fitness activity?
  45. DamageincJune 18, 2010 at 12:01 pm
    4 Bill – http://bit.ly/bFF7dq
  46. CastaicClayJune 19, 2010 at 10:50 pm
    JackA$$
  47. mikeJune 18, 2010 at 11:06 am
    The Signal’s look back was cool, but you know what would be even cooler? The Signal should just look back one month and ask: This story, it’s interesting…whatever happened here? Then write a story about it.
  48. JeffJune 18, 2010 at 11:17 am
    OMG PWNED! BOOM HEAD SHOT! EPIC WIN
  49. navigatorJune 18, 2010 at 11:12 am
    Hey, guess who proposed putting increased political contributions on the agenda. Guess who put increased contributions on the agenda the last time we saw it. Just because other entities have a $1000 limit we should too? If the county allows incumbents to throw contenders off a bridge can we do that too? What a crock. Don’t get your undies in a twist over the design of the Gateway project. Unless there are drastic changes in the status quo it ain’t happening.
  50. Sean "1978" MorrisseyJune 18, 2010 at 6:09 pm
    I see many comments here stating that Ikea charges for bags. This is true, but the diffrence is that Ikea is choosing to do this where this bag fee is a goverment regulation. Store owners should be left to decide if they want to go with reusable or stay with plactic and we consumers can decide with our wallets if we support that desision. There should be no goverment rules or regulations involved in this. For the record I have Ikea, Whole Foods and Toyota reusable bags in my car and reuse my plastic bags to clean up the cat litter box.
  51. MGutzeitJune 21, 2010 at 7:20 pm
    Jeff…thanks for promoting the Bicycle Master Plan meeting. I mentioned they could do a little better promotion since most seemed to come from your Blog and/or from Facebook friends. And I like plastic bags. Paper does not degrade in landfills but takes up more space than plastic which also does not degrade. Anyone been near a paper plant? Stinky and polluting…I would say more odorous than a refinery processing the oil byproducts that go into plastic bags.

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