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October 21, 2010· scvtalk.com · WordPress (SCVTalk 3.0) · Wayback capture

October 21, 2010 – Daily Brief

By Jeff — Jeff Wilson

  • Deputy City Manager and lead library takeover staff person Darren Hernandez has been subpoenaed by the Save Our Libraries group and will be deposed under oath on November 24th. A subpoena doesn’t indicate any wrong-doing it’s just a formal method of gathering information. TimBen Boydston has also been subpoenaed by SOL. In other news, thank goodness my browser knows how to spell check the many variations of subpoena I keep typing SAVE OUR LIBRARIES SITE
  • The Signal says it has a copy of the City’s signed contract with LSSI, the library services company that’s been selected to manage the operation of our libraries starting July 1, 2011. The document described by the Signal sounds different and more specific than the Technical plan laid out by LSSI in August (and detailed in this SCVTalk post). It includes staffing information, saying some $2.3 million will be spent in the first year to employ 58 LSSI positions, including a “City Librarian.” SIGNAL
  • Camrillo has voted to withdraw from its County run library system too, but the City Council there spent 2 years discussing the issue and hosting public outreach meetings and is offering County library employees the same salary if they get hired as LSSI library workers. BLOG, LIBRARY JOURNAL
  • Vista Canyon development project -featuring 1,000+ homes, 1 million sq. ft. of commercial space, 18 acres of parks, and a possible Metrolink station-  actually found some support at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. Despite the project being somewhat dense, Al Ferdman says it features many amenities east siders would like to have in their part of town. SIGNAL, VISTA CANYON SITE
  • Josh Pipho, the 20 year old former Canyon Country baseball player, met an extraordinarily violent end during a fight with Michael Dean Stephens nearly three years ago. Gory details in the SIGNAL
  • McKeon on the defensive over the “C” grade he got from an Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran’s group. Democratic Congressmembers from California all received As from the same group. McKeon’s spokesperson says he enjoys the support and endorsement of other Veteran’s groups and employs two veterans on his staff SIGNAL
  • Crazy new “Green Lantern” Roller Coaster will debut at Six Flags Magic Mountain in spring 2011, giving the theme park the coveted role of having more roller coasters than any other theme park in the world, according to KHTS
  • Wokcano (Asian/California fusion? Chinese? I don’t know) opened its doors Tuesday at the Westfield Patios. The restaurant is one of the anchor spaces in Westfield’s Patios, across from Lazy Dog. Oversized novelty scissors, local chamber dignitaries, and debutantes with sashes and crowns were on hand to welcome the new restaurant.  CITY BRIEFS
  • California Republicans just aren’t digging Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina. Maybe they’re not conservative enough. George Skelton has more in the LATIMES
  • Global warming denial is an article of faith/prerequisite for entry into the Tea Party movement. Quote of the week: “Carbon regulation, cap and trade, it’s all just a money-control avenue,” Ms. Khuri added. “Some people say I’m extreme, but they said the John Birch Society was extreme, too.” NY TIMES
  • After some dumb, ungrateful teenage skateboard shot out the back of a Sheriff’s cruiser with a bb gun, a Signal LTE writer says Awesometown just isn’t sounding so Awesome anymore. The kid, if they ever find him, deserves a public spanking/shaming in my opinion. We built a park for these ingrates at tremendous cost in a bad economy, and his action is causing this LTE writer a crisis of faith in Awesometown SINGAL LTE
  • LTE writer compares Frank Ferry’s use of city letterhead to trash Kevin Korenthal with the “crucifixion” of Bob Kellar after Proud Racist-gate, saying Ferry was let off the hook easy. LTE WRITER
  • Democratic Club of SCV meeting tonight at Caruso’s in Canyon Country WRB
  • Always thrilling, well written, and informative, John Boston’s Time Ranger column this weekend doesn’t disappoint WRB
  • COC Student wants better, more thought-provoking films in our local cinema houses than Transformers 2 and other whiz-bang shoot ‘em up explosion films. Ahh the idealism of being a college student COUGAR NEWS

Comments

34 · as published
  1. damageincOctober 21, 2010 at 7:27 am
    John Birch society isn’t extreme? The Group that believes the government is putting floride into the water to control our minds?
  2. Your Web GuruOctober 21, 2010 at 8:27 am
    Word!
  3. Fred ButlerOctober 21, 2010 at 7:32 am
    COC Student wants better, more thought-provoking films in our local cinema houses than Transformers 2 and other whiz-bang shoot ‘em up explosion films. Thought provoking in this context means those ultra violent and sexualized European trash films.
  4. damageincOctober 21, 2010 at 8:09 am
    We need more sex in our movies! I remember when R rated meant they would at least flash a pair of knockers!
  5. OlenkaOctober 21, 2010 at 8:17 am
    Who doesn’t like sex? Or boobs for that matter? I’d rather have teens watch movies about sexy times than about killing people.
  6. MikeOctober 21, 2010 at 8:27 am
    Fred, did you read it? How could you possibly get that from that piece?
  7. damageincOctober 21, 2010 at 8:34 am
    This guy believes he talks to god… Whatelse would you expect?
  8. Fred ButlerOctober 21, 2010 at 8:36 am
    Yes. I read it.
  9. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 7:44 am
    I would vote for Frank Ferry for Congress before I would ever vote for Barbara Boxer. I’m thinking Brown over Meg in 2010 however.
  10. damageincOctober 21, 2010 at 8:11 am
    Carly is done too my friend. Republicans are no finishing strong and are beginning to slide and Limbaugh is already making excuses.
  11. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 3:05 pm
    She may be, but Boxer is still a loser.
  12. navigatorOctober 21, 2010 at 9:32 am
    You just caused me to lose my breakfast cash.
  13. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 7:54 am
    VISTA CANYON SITE Two large diameter natural gas lines run through the site and the proposed development is in the flood plain, other than that it is a great location.. Not to worry though, in the economy it will be years before this project starts and by then the developer may be selling real estate for Kellar Davis. I understand they have some new commercial property they need to unload.
  14. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 8:09 am
    The Planning Commission continued the public hearing to Nov. 2, when it will vote on approving a specific plan for the project and steps toward annexation of the area. Well I guess the Signal has decided it is a done deal, or should be..
  15. Need for Involved CitizenryOctober 21, 2010 at 9:00 am
    Cash – you nailed it! The City likes it because it gives them a new Metrolink station and the park for all this high density will be in the riverbed behind the existing Via Princessa Metrolink station. Think these folks will be walking to that new park? Last I heard, the developer has a one acre developed park on site for things like concerts and 5-6 acres of a oak tree preserve. I guess all those kids can just play soccer and stickball in the streets like back in Brooklyn. And because this Village is so close to the Valencia Industrial Center (not) it will really cut down on the cross valley traffic. Oh that’s right, they can take the 45 minute + bus ride to work in the Industrial Center or at Magic Mtn. Also, under OVOV, the City says it wants to preserve flood plain areas and watersheds but this project will channelize the Santa Clara river eliminating a historical flood plain and need something like 100,000 cubic yards of fill to fulfill FEMA requirements. The setback from the river is the minimum the State requires. Oh, and by the way, one of the three primary entrances will go right by two elementary schools that are already heavily impacted by morning traffic! This is a great development is a terrible location and requires high densities to overcome the costs to make the site work (grading, roads, traffic impacts, river containment, etc). Not what I would call SMART GROWTH!
  16. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 3:16 pm
    Just glad it is in Canyon Country and not on the west side. The developer is good at offering what he knows will make the city happy and gain approval. He learned that from the best at Newhall Land over the years. You say “park” and the city is all ears, location not important, Weste and the new girl are on board. You say Metrolink and McLean grins. You mention more real estate to sell and Mr. Kellar is on board. How cares Ferry thinks at that point!
  17. navigatorOctober 21, 2010 at 9:38 am
    The grand opening/ribbon cutting at Wokcano was jammed with people. The food was good. I hope they do well.
  18. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 3:20 pm
    Looks like a very nice place! How was the free food and drink? Better than that served out of the truck kitchen?
  19. navigatorOctober 21, 2010 at 3:25 pm
    The food was great and they had a lot of people serving it although each tray went pretty fast. I am kind of a red wine snob so I didn’t care much for what they served BUT they were serving Stella and Sapporo beer both of which I like very much
  20. Alan FerdmanOctober 21, 2010 at 10:01 am
    The Signal reported today the city signing a 5 year contract with LSSI. After the first year, the City intends to spend $3.2 million on Library Staffing and $3 million to pay down the $10 million dept the city will incur by purchasing the Valencia Library and Library materials at all 3 libraries. Add that up and expenditures is $6.2 million per year, approx. the 2009 revenue stream collected including the Special Tax Assessment that the County says they will no longer collect. Ms. Todd’s 2009 letter to the city show the amount collected, without the Special Library Assessment, as $4.9 million. Where is the other $1.3 million going to come from? Besides that, how can you sign a contract for services when you have not yet decided what services will be provided? Sound like a back room deal?
  21. Daddy Joe GOctober 21, 2010 at 10:10 am
    The Signal also says the city will spend $100,000 more on new books then the county spent on the 3 libraries. But under the county system we have access to all the materials purchased for the county libraries, not just those purchased for the 3 libraries in the city. Can the city match that number? Obviously not.
  22. Tim MyersOctober 21, 2010 at 10:48 am
    Alan: They will put on a local initiative to approve a replacement special assessment for City residents. If they run it like the Open Space election it will pass easily.
  23. Alan FerdmanOctober 21, 2010 at 12:10 pm
    Tim You are right. One possibility is that the City could try to pass a replacement assessment. It probably will not be as easy as the Open Space initiative was.
  24. Tim MyersOctober 21, 2010 at 12:14 pm
    Alan: They will just put “books” and “youth” in it somewhere and it will pass easily.
  25. Jim FarleyOctober 21, 2010 at 1:53 pm
    Wait a minute – did someone say “Open Space”??? If the city tries another assessment I’m sure the lies and underhanded methods used in the Open Space assessment will be used again. At least some of us are more aware now and will be better prepared to fight another unnecessary tax.
  26. gregory molineriOctober 21, 2010 at 2:15 pm
    @Tim If they run it like the Open Space election?? In that election they (Weste) strong-armed developers, telling them that if they didn’t give tens of thousands of dollars for the cause, they would never receive approvals for their various projects! That’s how they (she) paid for it and that’s why the city won’t disclose the funding sources. How will they (Ender/Hernandez) now strong-arm library users to pay for a campaign to tax us for city-run libraries? They’ve already told the public to pack sand and broke the law to get it done. How much more do you think the public will take? I’m waiting for another teary-faced Ender crying “What about the children, blah, blah.” I love the libraries but please save the stamp. The city will never get my vote for this.
  27. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 3:28 pm
    Easily, hardly, things were very different then they were when Weste duped the public with the open space issue. What will they do in the meantime Timmy? What would the assessment amount need be to make it work, in your view? I think the library screw up will be the downfall, finally!
  28. Coastal SageOctober 21, 2010 at 7:51 pm
    “$3 Million to pay down the debt the city will incur by purchasing the Valencia Library and Library materials at all 3 libraries”????? Unfortunately for the City, a careful reading of Education Code Section 19116(b), pertaining to how the City can use the regular real estate tax money associated with the libraries, says that the tax revenue “shall be allocated to and used to maintain library services by the withdrawing entity” If indeed the current text of the LSSI contract telegraphs that $3 Million is to be used to repay indebtedness, rather than “maintain library services”, then the mis-use of the tax money is another “underlying unlawfulness” in the contract, over and above the breach of the Constitution’s and Government Code’s privacy restrictions. 863
  29. Daddy Joe GOctober 21, 2010 at 10:11 am
    Will the runoff from the new coasters also be dumped in the Santa Clara River?
  30. gregory molineriOctober 21, 2010 at 11:31 am
    Did anyone else notice that the first LTE in today’s paper was answered perfectly by the second LTE? The first letter: I read the local news in The Signal on Oct. 6 and was taken back by the two alarming incidents that happened, caused by some of our kids: “Student stabbed at Hart High” and “Skate Park assault.” What has happened to our awesome valley as advertised? The second writer then asks: “Has anyone in the SCV been paying attention to the unethical actions happening in the city of Bell? Well, we are not much better if we allow the council to bully and intimidate citizens in our city. Ferry’s outbursts, unprofessional behavior at the public meetings and unethical use of the city’s letterhead are just a small glimmer into what is happening in our Awesometown.” Jesus taught us that “A student is not above his teacher.” (Luke 6:40). How much worse when the teacher is a Catholic High School principal. What a shameful example for our kids and our city!
  31. cashOctober 21, 2010 at 3:29 pm
    Amen!
  32. Library User MichaelOctober 21, 2010 at 2:06 pm
    I found the library contract here http://savesantaclaritalibraries.wordpress.com/ They just put it up…
  33. Library User MichaelOctober 21, 2010 at 6:16 pm
    “Camarillo has voted to withdraw from its County run library system too, but the City Council there spent 2 years discussing the issue”—perhaps that City Council should be recalled because they took so long to make a decision…
  34. JaneOctober 22, 2010 at 4:54 pm
    “Al Ferdman says it features many amenities east siders would like to have in their part of town.” Mr. Ferdman must be privy to more than what is listed on their website, because there ain’t a whole lot there.
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