- It’s OVOV week! That’s right, on Tuesday the City kicks off its first public session on One Valley, One Vision, the decade-long joint planning effort for the SCV between the City of Santa Clarita and County of Los Angeles. Natalie Everett at the Signal has a great article describing the history of the joint effort, community reaction to it and what its implications are SIGNAL
- The June 10, 2010 date on LSSI’s cover letter of its proposals to the City for its library takeover program was incorrect, the City says. The city says LSSI used a form letter; the actual date of the package was August 16, as was noted on each subsequent page. The City says they have USPS proof that the LSSI package didn’t arrive until August 13. Darren Hernandez tells the Signal he did “ask questions” of LSSI “two-year process that resulted in staff’s recommendation to withdraw and contract with a library firm.” SIGNAL
- Council woman Laurene Weste suggests the City will “review” Frank Ferry’s letter on City Council letterhead to Kevin Korenthal’s employer. KK says the letter has been a boon to his campaign, with new people calling him up, asking to help. Finally, there’s an interesting part of the article: someone has apparently filed a complaint with the DA alleging that Frank Ferry does not live where he says he lives. SIGNAL
- Woman on motorcycle dies after crashing on Commerce Center drive Friday night. NBC 4
- It’s surprising how open and honest the developer trying to retard the annexation of Tesoro Del Valle is. Basically they’re admitting the City will have higher standards for development in the area and, since they control Tesoro’s HOA board, they view annexation as a risk to their bottom line. Yet they tell Tesoro residents that the HOA board belongs to them. SIGNAL
- The State of California has deferred some $44 million in payments to College of the Canyons, including a recent $2 million payment to the college that’s late by three months. The delay in payment is due to the state’s failure to adopt a budget on time. SIGNAL
- Meanwhile local schools are holding fundraisers so that parents can pay for routine things like field trips and even classroom supplies. SIGNAL
- The Los Angeles Times’ crime map for the City of Santa Clarita now has data. You can see where the crime occurred and use a slider to go back in time. Most of the events on the map are “theft” but there are other violent crimes as well, including a homicide listed on the 23800 block of McBean Parkway that occurred September 6, 2010. I can’t explain that one? LA TIMES
- Buck McKeon field deputy in high desert tells website that McKeon’s priority is to bring high tech, defense-related jobs to California’s 25th District. McKeon’s office is coordinating a high desert defense coalition toward that end BEST SYNDICATION
- And on the other side of the country, and perhaps not so coincidentally, Buck McKeon and Ike Skelton, the leadership of the House Armed Services Committee, are thinking of issuing a subpoena to force Defense chief Robert Gates to testify over his plans to cut $100 billion from the Defense budget over the next five years. PAPER
- Signal profile of 38th Assembly Seat race between Cam Smyth and Diana Shaw, a longtime SCV Democratic activists. Also, the Signal spoke to SacBee political columnist Dan Walters, who praised Smyth saying, “He seems to be intelligent and thoughtful and not just rote.” SIGNAL
- Massive abuse of state’s welfare card system uncovered: the LA Times says some $69 million in welfare money was accessed and spent in places like Hawaii, Las Vegas, and on-board Miami docked cruise ships by recipients of the cards, which can be used at some ATM machines. LA TIMES
- Investigation by Army Times newspaper reveals that Pentagon is being very choosy when it comes to awarding the Congressional Medal of Honor to troops serving in Afghanistan or Iraq. In prior wars, there were between 23 and 29 medals awarded per one million troops; in our two wars the rate falls to 1 medal per one million troops. LA TIMES
- A College of the Canyons student is organizing a “Rally to Restore Sanity” event for October 30 in Valencia. The event is a meant to be a local version of the rally that will occur in Washington DC on 10/30, hosted by Jon Stewart. The event will take place at the corner of McBean & Valencia FACEBOOK
- Speaking of political season, Tea Party SCV has released their list of endorsements and proposition recommendations. The group which has as its motto “Liberty’s march has a new generation of patriots” recommends a no vote on Prop 19, the marijuana initiative, and a yes vote on Prop 23, the Texas-oil funded measure that would suspend AB 32 TEA PARTY SCV
- Times columnist George Skelton on Meg Whitman’s illegal immigrant employee problem. “The candidate has said employers of illegal immigrants must be held accountable. Well, how about it?” LA TIMES
- Whoa: Three more gourmet food trucks added to the list of trucks that will appear in Bridgeport on October 16. There’s even an italian one called “Vesuvius.” This is the long-awaited killer app for Bridgeport’s marketplace. AWESOMETOWN BLOG
- David Gauny suspicious of June 10 date on LSSI letter even after City denial, saying the timeline, “suggests that without public knowledge or council direction, staff resources were being used to streamline approval of LSSI’s complex proposal. He ends his column remarking that “I don’t know if a library takeover is good for our city, but I do want a fair chance to hear the facts and decide for myself. I oppose anyone who cheats me out of that.” SIGNAL
- LTE Writer from Valencia wonders why all the birds he’s used to seeing in his neighborhood have seemingly vanished. SIGNAL
- Signal editorial on Prop 19 is confusing: they say it’s a state’s right issue, they take issue with Washington’s overreach and war on drugs, and then they say you should vote no on Prop 19. SIGNAL
- SCV Muslims write their own open letter in response to some positive ecumenical outreach from local Christian churches. “Once again, it is with a sense of immense gratitude that we acknowledge your initiative in reaching out and asserting that actions of a few are by and large not representative of a larger faith-based community. ” SIGNAL
A decade of the Valley’s town square · 2006–2015
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41 · as published